As Democratic upsets swept across the nation, Republican headwinds trickled down the ballot where GOP candidates in toss-up legislative races struggled to fend off their Democratic challengers in early returns Tuesday night.
In the Sacramento area, school superintendent Amy Slavensky, a Democrat, was leading with 53% of the vote against Republican incumbent Josh Hoover an hour after polls closed.
Meanwhile, down south in Fresno, county supervisor Brian Pacheco had 63% of the vote in his race against former Merced mayor Mike Murphy, a seat Republicans are hoping to flip after it was vacated by a Democrat.
A similar dynamic played out in early results in a state Senate race in San Diego, where GOP-backed candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane trailed closely behind Democrat Mara Elliott, a former San Diego city attorney, who had 52% of the vote.
– – Nadia Lathan