California races could determine control of US House

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the fight to control Congress, one of the biggest battlegrounds is heavily Democratic California. Despite the state’s reputation as a liberal monolith, there are scattered pockets of conservative strength. Orange County again looks to be among the hottest spots for close races. Republican leaders believe they could flip two U.S. House districts there and five overall in the state in a year where voters are upset about high inflation and eye-popping gas prices. President Joe Biden’s popularity has been sagging nationally but California Democrats still see the possibility of clawing back four House districts they surrendered in 2020 and hope to gain more.