Democrat Eric Jones will win the race for California’s 4th Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) projects, ousting incumbent Rep. Mike Thompson (D) in a single-party battle.
The race had gone uncalled since Election Day, but Jones was projected the winner on Thursday, leading Thompson by more than 4 percentage points.
Thompson is the only House Democrat to lose in the general election this cycle. While Republicans flipped three Democrat-held seats — two because of mid-decade redistricting — all three were left open.
Jones ran a campaign focused on fighting corruption and lowering costs, highlighting his experience growing up poor but making it to Yale University on a scholarship.
A 35-year-old businessman without experience running for office, his defeat of the 75-year-old, 14-term incumbent is resemblant of fights for generational change in the Democratic Party.
California’s top-two primary system allows the two candidates who receive the most votes to advance to the general election, regardless of party. The race in the 4th district is similar to matchups seen in Democratic primaries across the country this year.
In total, seven House Democrats lost renomination this cycle, including some to Democratic socialist challengers. Some of the incumbents who survived did so only narrowly.
The 4th Congressional District, based in the Napa-area in Northern California, was redrawn ahead of the midterms as part of a voter-backed effort to respond to Republican redistricting in Texas.
The district became less Democratic — though still solidly blue — loaning territory to the neighboring 1st Congressional District.
Democrats were able to get all five seats they attempted to flip through redistricting in the Golden State, including the 1st Congressional District, where Democrat Mike McGuire unseated GOP Rep. James Gallagher.
