Brea– For the first time since Depression, Orange County, the last key district for Republicans, went blue in the 2016 presidential election. After the election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announces its plan to open a western regional office in Irvine, further emphasizing the national party’ hopes of moving out west to flip House seats in Orange County.
According to statistics, of the 23 Republicans hold congressional districts that voted for Hillary Clinton, four are in Orange County. Despite its deep Republican roots, Orange County is becoming increasingly blue. The Democratic Party is moving senior staffers to Orange County in hopes of flipping Republican-held House seats during the 2018 midterm elections. The DCCC propagandize themselves to shoot for voter’s support and help campaigns raise money. They will also organize volunteers and workers in the field. The DCCC is aiming to defeat seven Republicans in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego County.
The Western regional staff has been headquartered in Washington D.C. since the 2004 election cycle. Ben Lujan, the chairman of the committee, said the move was made to be as close to the voters as possible and to maximize gains in the midterms. In addition to California, DCCC will send senior staffers to oversee House races in Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
Republican State Assemblyman Philip Chen representing the 55th Assembly District, confirmed the move of the national party in a recent interview with US News Express. Phillip pointed out that California is still a powerful stronghold for the Democratic Party while the federal government is dominated by Republicans. The Democratic Party sends senior staffers to Orange County in an effort to flip seven congressional seats held by California Republicans for in Ed Royce, Mimi Walters, and Dana Rohrabacher. Phillip said that the new campaign office would provide 24/7 service to voters and touch base with them on a regular basis.
There have been a number of Orange County Democrats aiming to challenge Republican candidates, including two law school professors from UC Irvine to challenge Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange County’s 45th District.
