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Decline of white Republicans on L.A.'s northern outskirts puts GOP at risk in midterm election -- California’s sorely diminished Republican Party has few footholds left in Los Angeles County, and it risks losing its biggest one in the midterm election on Tuesday: the House seat of Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

With Democrats well-positioned to take the House, Republicans scurry to save the Senate -- Swamped by a tidal wave of Democratic cash, Republicans entered the final 72 hours of the midterm campaign scrambling to preserve their slim Senate majority as a bulwark against the increasing prospect of a Democrat-run House. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Here’s what’s at stake for California in Tuesday’s elections -- President Trump is barnstorming the country as a get-out-the-vote evangelist for Republicans, preaching that Tuesday’s midterm elections are “a referendum about me.” He may get more than he bargained for, and California is likely to play a large role in that. Joe Garofoli and Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

Don’t tell Bay Area voters this is no battleground: anger and enthusiasm near all-time highs -- The Bay Area isn’t a battleground for the midterm election and Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot. The real action in the fight for Congress is downstate and across the country, but when voters here head to the polls Tuesday, nearly everyone will be channeling two years of pent-up rage and righteousness just the same. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18

Abcarian: Will Latinos in racially polarized Kern County finally get the representation they deserve? -- Grace Vallejo is the mayor of Delano, the farming community along Highway 99 that is the birthplace of the United Farm Workers movement. Vallejo’s parents, first-generation Americans, were migrant farmworkers in the Central Valley who took their kids with them to pick grapes, potatoes and cotton around Delano and fruit crops such as peaches and plums in the north. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

The ‘O.J. strategy’: Prosecutors accused of using it to remove black jurors -- It’s illegal to dismiss prospective jurors because of their race. But civil rights advocates say some California prosecutors have found a way to keep blacks off their juries without using overtly racial criteria. You might call it the O.J. strategy. Bob Egelko and Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

‘I feel blessed’: Deported Cambodian refugee from Sacramento returns home to family -- Last fall, Sacramento resident Tem was one of about 15 Cambodian nationals with criminal convictions detained for deportation in Northern California by federal immigration authorities during a nationwide sweep of between 100 and 200 individuals. Advocates describe the roundup as the largest targeted sweep of Cambodian nationals, many of them refugees, ever conducted by ICE. A federal class action lawsuit filed last year arguing the arrests are illegal is ongoing. Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/4/18

If Prop. 10 passes, San Francisco supervisors ready to alter rent control rules -- At the heart of Proposition 10 is a straightforward question freighted with complex implications: Should officials in cities such as San Francisco be given more power to craft local rent control regulations. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

UC President Napolitano retools office after criticism over state audit -- UC President Janet Napolitano is spending more than a $1 million to retool her office staff after stinging criticism last year from Sacramento lawmakers over their handling of a state audit. Matier & Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

World’s largest dorm-style ‘co-living’ apartment building coming to San Jose -- The latest trendy new apartment building coming to downtown San Jose will offer plenty of luxury amenities, including cleaning services, laundry and dog walking. The catch? Each resident will share a kitchen and living room with at least a dozen other strangers. Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18

From refugees to entrepreneurs: How one family started over -- With just 30 days notice, the Rawas family was plucked from their temporary home in Jordan, where they’d fled the Syrian civil war, and resettled in Oakland. As refugees, they knew no one, had no job prospects and didn’t speak a word of English. Tatiana Sanchez in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning  

The pitched election battle over healthcare is personal for many Southland voters -- A few short years ago, Kim Adams couldn’t have told you the name of her representative in Congress. That changed last year, when Republican Rep. Mimi Walters voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act as Adams watched live on C-Span from her home in Tustin. Victoria Kim in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

In a tumultuous election year, California sees a flood of complaints about alleged campaign law violations -- The state Fair Political Practices Commission reported 2,252 cases of alleged campaign law and ethics violations in 2018, including complaints from the public, referrals from other agencies and investigations by its staff. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Schools, cities and counties will ask California voters to OK taxes and borrowing totaling $20 billion -- The ballot California voters will tackle on election day is a long one, with dozens of candidates and 11 statewide propositions. While a lot of attention has been devoted to those choices, little has been given to scores of local ballot measures asking for permission to borrow or tax in communities — proposals totaling some $20 billion for schools, cities and counties. John Myers in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Opposition to California dialysis measure Prop. 8 hits fundraising record -- The opposition is being bankrolled by two of the nation’s largest dialysis companies, DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, which have financed a vast majority of the record-high $111.4 million raised to defeat the initiative. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

Turn California Red rally could draw anti-fascist counter-protesters to the state Capitol on Sunday -- A group of people who want Californians to elect a slate of conservative candidates in next week’s midterm election plan to assemble at the state Capitol on Sunday — a gathering that has prompted a call for a response from a Sacramento-based anti-fascist group. Marisa Gerber in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

In this California House race, water is 'lifeblood.' Will an edge on the issue give Republican Rep. Denham a boost? -- Jake Wenger grows walnuts on land where early settlers arrived in search of gold and instead found rich soil. His orchards just west of Modesto stretch 700 acres and supply a nut company that has remained in his family for four generations. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Democrat Josh Harder emphasizes his opponent's GOP healthcare vote -- To large and rambunctious crowds of volunteers on the final stretch of his campaign, Democrat Josh Harder on Saturday stressed the issue that started it all for him: healthcare. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Ammar Campa-Najjar gets a hand from Eric Garcetti in the 50th District -- L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti stopped by Escondido to help Democratic congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar kick off his get-out-the-vote push Saturday. Campa-Najjar is challenging Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) for his seat in the conservative 50th Congressional District. Maya Sweedlßer in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Marking a shift, the race for Los Angeles County sheriff may be up for grabs -- On Tuesday, voters will decide who should take over one of the most powerful law enforcement jobs in the nation, in a contest that few may even realize appears on the crowded Los Angeles County ballot. Maya Lau in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

These five California House races could determine the future of Congress -- At Cal State Fullerton, students seem more motivated than ever to go to the polls. With President Donald Trump in the back of many of their minds, Tuesday’s election is an opportunity to elect Democrats who can be a check on the president. Bryan Anderson in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/4/18

Battle for US House seats includes one-time GOP stronghold -- By bus, by freeway or on foot, candidates dashed across California on Saturday in a frantic rush to secure votes, knocking on doors, dialing phones and urging throngs of volunteers to fight for every vote. Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 11/4/18

Scandal, demographics and political machinations affect the race to fill Darrell Issa’s House seat -- Two years ago, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa kept his seat by 1,621 votes, making the race in his sprawling coastal 49th District in Orange and San Diego counties the closet congressional tally in the nation that year. Ralph Vartabedian in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

He hadn't worked a campaign since handing out 'I Like Ike' signs, but he's here for Rep. Mimi Walters -- It’s been a few years since Marylee and Grayson Sanders have volunteered for political campaigns — her last was for the younger Bush, his for Eisenhower, passing out “I like Ike” signs in the 1950s. Victoria Kim in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Harkey soldiers on in her reelection bid despite a lack of support from her party -- Addressing supporters who gathered in her campaign office parking lot Friday in Carlsbad, Republican candidate Diane Harkey bemoaned the state of the race for California's 49th Congressional District. She told the crowd that she'd gotten no financial support from the national Republican Party in her race against Democrat Mike Levin to replace the retiring Darrell Issa. Dakota Smith in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

‘We are tired of being attacked’: Farmworkers and immigrant rights activists make a final push to flip the House -- Immigrant rights advocates and farmworkers hit the streets early Saturday to get out the vote in the 10th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Jeff Denham and Democrat Josh Harder are locked in one of the most intense races in California. Jazmine Ulloa in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Orange County district attorney race turns into political mud wrestling between former colleagues turned foes -- Longtime Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas stood before television cameras last month to announce charges in the sensational case of a Newport Beach doctor and former reality TV star accused of drugging and raping women. Richard Winton in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Harris and Newsom — onetime California rivals — join hands on the trail -- Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris — once viewed as potential rivals for higher office — marshaled their growing star power on the campaign trail Saturday in a bid to boost Democrats' hopes in several congressional districts the party is aiming to flip en route to the House majority. Carla Marinucci Politico -- 11/4/18

Nancy Pelosi tells Democrats “don’t take the bait” on Trump’s immigration rhetoric -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spent her final day on the midterm campaign trail rallying volunteers in her home base and urging Democrats to stay focused as they fight to capture the House of Representatives. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18

How Trump’s harsh immigration rhetoric could impact California’s diverse battlegrounds -- As President Trump dials up the rhetoric on immigration in the final days before Tuesday’s midterm election, few of the Republican candidates in California’s top battlegrounds are backing away from his hard-edged proposals. Reps. Duncan Hunter, Dana Rohrabacher and Tom McClintock all have voiced support for moves like sending thousands of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and trying to end birthright citizenship. Casey Tolan in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/4/18

‘We are pro people not dying.’ Parkland students captivated the nation, but will their message resonate on election day? -- But nine months after the teenage students from Parkland, Fla., were thrust to the fore of America’s daily political discourse following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, their calls for gun control, and for registering and turning out young voters, have been largely overtaken by the nation’s daily crush of controversies. Kurtis Lee in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Single race may tip power balance in California Legislature -- Whether Democrats win a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers of the California Legislature will likely come down to a sprawling state Senate district west of Fresno that looks on paper like it should be a lock for the party. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 11/4/18

Walters: State-county conflict could flare up again soon -- When California became the 31st state in 1850, the Legislature quickly created 27 counties to provide basic local services, such as roads, sheriffs and courts, to a sparse, mostly rural population. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/4/18

This Sunday, Californians could set their clocks back for the last time -- This Sunday, Californians could “fall back” for the last time. That’s because voters this Tuesday will consider a proposition that, if passed, would empower the Legislature to pass a law to permanently fix the state to one time system. Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/4/18

Willie Brown: Who needs the wall? Trump wins at the border without that annoying Congress -- Forget the wall. President Trump has found a way to make the border armed and dangerous without having to build his monument to ignorance. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/4/18

Lopez: They sometimes cringe at Trump, but this California couple are still sold on the president -- Two years into the Donald Trump experience, with midterm elections coming up this week, political fault lines deeper than the San Andreas and political rhetoric flaring like a California wildfire, I got into my car and drove to Temecula. Steve Lopez in the Los Angles Times -- 11/4/18

Homeless  

How 2 women, homeless for years, walked different paths to similar deaths in the streets of Orange County -- Rita Ann Wilde appears on Row 159 of the spreadsheet where the Orange County coroner’s office tracks the deaths in 2018 of people who have “no fixed abode.” Homeless. Theresa Walker in the Orange County Register -- 11/4/18

POTUS 45  

Trump Jr. griped that CNN didn’t run his dad’s commercial. ‘This ad is racist,’ the network replied. -- Donald Trump Jr. had a grievance to air Saturday morning. CNN had refused to run an election ad released by his father, President Trump, earlier this week, a video that featured Luis Bracamontes — an undocumented immigrant who was convicted in the murder of two California sheriff’s deputies — in an apparent attempt to drum up fears about immigration. Amy B Wang in the Washington Post -- 11/4/18

Trump’s Four-Pinocchio claim: ‘Democrats let him into our country’ -- President Trump has sought the focus the midterm elections on what he describes as the national-security threat posed by several thousand migrants making a 1,000-mile trek from Honduras through Mexico to the southern border. As part of his closing message, he tweeted a campaign video that features Luis Bracamontes, an undocumented immigrant who shot and killed two California police officers in 2014. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post -- 11/4/18