Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Side-by-Side Maps of a Republican Stronghold Before and After Last Week's Midterm Elections Just Emerged Online, and Yeah, the Blue Wave Is Real

Side-by-Side Maps of a Republican Stronghold Before and After Last Week's Midterm Elections Just Emerged Online, and Yeah, the Blue Wave Is Real
Democratic Representatives-elect Mike Levin, Katie Porter and Harley Rouda of Orange County, California. (media use photos from campaigns)

Whoa.

The 2018 midterms may not seem like the blue wave many Democrats hoped for. Due to the failure to take the Senate, some called the midterm elections a draw.

But the red to blue numbers are more significant than people realize. While only losing one Senate seat, Democrats picked up 36 seats so far in the House with three more expected to go blue for a total of 39 red to blue seats in the 116th Congress.


In addition to seats in the House of Representatives, the Governor's mansions in seven more states will be housing a Democrat in the coming year. Two more races are left to be decided leaving the potential for an even 50/50 split with 25 Republican Governors and 25 Democrats.

One area where the shift is particularly evident is in traditionally Republican stronghold Orange County, California. The six congressional districts in the affluent area went four Republican and two Democrat in the 2016 election.

In the 2018 midterms, the area is awash with blue. While only five of the six districts are decided as of Friday, November 16, the sixth is projected to also go to Democrat Gil Cisneros over Republican Young Kim.

MSNBC's Morning Joe shared a graphic on Twitter to illustrate the change.

Democratic incumbents J. Luis Correa in the 46th district and Alan Lowenthal in the 47th retained their House seats. Meanwhile Democratic challengers Katie Porter in the 45th and Harley Rouda in the 48th unseated GOP incumbents Mimi Walters and Dana Rohrabacher.

In the 49th district, newcomers faced off with Democrat Mike Levin beating Republican Diane Harkey. And as mentioned earlier, fellow Democratic newcomer Gil Cisneros is projected to defeat GOP newbie Young Kim in the 39th.

So what caused the shift?

Many voters cited the GOP being complicit in the actions and rhetoric of President Donald Trump. When the President attacks California—which he has many times on Twitter and during his Make America Great Again rallies—he makes no exceptions nor offers any disclaimers for Republicans in the state.

All Californians are painted with the same broad brush by Trump.

The President's obvious animosity toward the state bled into his reactions to the wildfires that struck California in 2017 and 2018. Trump's lack of compassion and empathy toward victims of the fires angered many residents.

People also cited the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Doctor Christine Blasey-Ford is a California resident.

Others cited the GOP tax cuts and votes attacking the Affordable Care Act as reason to vote blue in 2018.

Kavanaugh's confirmation came from the Senate, but backlash against the Republican Party crossed over into even state and local elections.

People online shared their own thoughts about the shift.

Going into the 2018 midterms, the California GOP was confident of their pending success.

So how did the GOP react to the losses?

By borrowing a page from President Trump and the Republicans in Florida.

But their constituents are not happy with the political ploy.

As of Friday, six House seats, two Senate seats and two Gubernatorial races remain undecided.

More from News/2024-election

Karoline Leavitt
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Slammed After Suggesting Reports Of Deadly Strike On Iranian Girls' School Are Just 'Propaganda'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was criticized after she rejected reports that the U.S. struck a girls' elementary school in Iran, killing 175 people, insisting in remarks to the press pool that it's just Iranian "propaganda" that they've "fallen" for.

Iranian state media and health officials said the strike occurred early Saturday morning in Minab, in the country’s southern Hormozgan Province. Journalists from international news organizations have not been granted access to independently verify the reported death toll or the circumstances surrounding the strike.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @madswellness's TikTok video
@madswellness/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate With Her Viral Hot Take That We Should 'Normalize Not Liking Dogs'

We're all different people with different interests, and it's perfectly okay that we like different things.

But there are some people who passionately, even vehemently, draw the line at other people liking or disliking dogs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @vanellimelli030's TikTok video
@vanellimelli030/TikTok

Model Accuses Fashion Brand Of Using AI To Recreate Her Looks For Ad Instead Of Hiring Her

There used to be laws in place for someone's likeness being used without their consent, and most certainly if their likeness was being used in an exploitative way for profit.

But now with the rise of AI-generated photographs, advertisements, and other digital products, the lines seem to have become muddied between the illegal stealing of someone's likeness and AI "inspiration."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @anissahm15's TikTok video
@anissahm15/TikTok

TikToker Secretly Records Unhinged Spectrum Employee Screaming At Her For Trying To Cancel Her Service

Employees in commission-based positions are feeling increasingly pressured to acquire new clients, retain previous clients, and solve the issues their clients call in about with high satisfaction ratings.

Even though tensions are high, and the pressure they're feeling may be unrealistic for any one person to take, that doesn't give them the right to mistreat people who do not want to sign up or want to cancel.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @hustleb***h's TikTok video
@hustleb***h/TikTok

Travel Influencer Posts Viral 'Hack' Using Hotel Coffee Maker To Wash Her Underwear—And We're Horrified

We've all worried about packing enough clothes when we go on a trip, especially when it's the really important stuff, like underwear and socks.

But travel influencer @tarawoodcox11 thoroughly grossed out the internet when she shared a hack for maintaining clean, or at least cleaner underwear, while on the go. The video was later shared by the TikTok platform @hustleb*tch where it went viral.

Keep ReadingShow less