After the second day of ballot counting, voters across Orange County largely tapped Democratic candidates across the county’s eight congressional district seats.
And while voting has ended, it will still be a bit before all ballots are counted and results are certified by county election offices.
Still, several Orange County congressional races were called Tuesday night for Democratic incumbents. Across the nation, Democrats saw big gains up and down the ballot in the midterms.
Here’s a look at Orange County’s congressional races.
Congressional District 38
The race for California’s 38th Congressional District was decided somewhat quickly, as the Associated Press declared that Hilda Solis won the race over Pedro Antonio Casas shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Solis, a Democrat who currently chairs the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, previously served in the House for eight years, from 2001 to 2009, then served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 2009 until January 2013.
The first priority for House Democrats, Solis said, will be to consolidate leadership and get behind Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is poised to become the next speaker. Then, they must begin lowering high prices that Americans are facing in every facet of life, said Solis.
“It’s about making ends meet, putting food on the table, being able to lower the price of gasoline, getting rid of the tariffs, ending the war, and also making sure that healthcare affordability and tax credits are put back into the Affordable Care Act, as well as making affordable housing available,” Solis said.
Casas, a Republican and U.S. Army veteran, could not be reached for comment.
As a result of redistricting, the seat is open, spanning portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Montebello, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Diamond Bar, La Habra Heights and Yorba Linda.
Congressional District 40
As of Wednesday, Rep. Ken Calvert maintained a lead over Rep. Young Kim in the race for a House seat encompassing parts of Orange and Riverside counties.
Calvert, in a social media post, said he was hopeful the result would hold.
“These results show voters want a proven, consistent, and effective leader representing them in Congress,” Calvert said. “I want to thank our incredible volunteers, my campaign team and everyone who has supported me throughout this race. I look forward to seeing the rest of the results.”
The race for California’s 40th Congressional District pitted 30-year incumbent Calvert, of Corona, against a six-year House veteran in Kim, from Anaheim Hills, in a bitter fight for a district that runs from Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County to Murrieta, Menifee, Lake Elsinore and part of Corona in Riverside County.
Calvert and Kim battled in the eight-candidate primary to prove to voters who was more loyal to President Donald Trump. After the primary, Kim pivoted to a more bipartisan message in a bid to win independent and Democratic voters in the 40th.
On Wednesday, Kim said: “With a large percentage of the total ballots still outstanding, we do not know the outcome of this election quite yet.”
“Every legally cast ballot deserves to be counted, and we will continue monitoring the results as election officials complete their work,” she added.
Congressional District 41
Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez won the battle for California’s 41st Congressional District over Republican Mitch Clemmons, the Associated Press declared within an hour of polls closing Tuesday.
“Being chosen to represent my neighbors in Congress is an honor I’ll never take for granted,” said Sánchez, a Democratic lawmaker who has served in Congress since 2003. “Throughout this campaign, voters told me the same thing: keep fighting to lower costs, end the corruption, and protect our communities and our democracy. That is exactly what I plan to do.”
Sánchez has worked as a labor attorney and sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing group in Congress. There, she also serves on subcommittees related to trade and healthcare.
Clemmons, a small business owner from Santa Monica, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The district spans Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Brea, Downey, Lakewood, Los Alamitos and Whittier.
Congressional District 42
Rep. Robert Garcia won his reelection bid to California’s 42nd Congressional District over Republican challenger Brian Burley, the Associated Press declared Tuesday night.
The former Long Beach mayor and councilmember has quickly risen to leadership positions on Capitol Hill, and for more than a year now, has served as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, the primary investigative panel in Congress.
In a social media post, Garcia said he is ready to “take on corruption and make life more affordable for working families.”
The coastal district is a relatively new one, now spanning from the more liberal Long Beach down to the more conservative Huntington Beach and part of Newport Beach.
Burley serves on the Huntington Beach City School District governing board and also ran for Huntington Beach City Council this year. Burley said the redistricting of the seat, the state of the economy and the Iran war all likely influenced the midterms.
“The American people were loud and clear; they aren’t happy,” he said. “It’s on us as Republicans to take that to heart.”
Congressional District 45
The Associated Press declared just before 11 p.m. Tuesday that Rep. Derek Tran, D-Orange, won his reelection bid to California’s 45th Congressional District over Republican challenger Chuong Vo.
The 45th Congressional District includes Cerritos in L.A. County, as well as Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster in Orange County.
In a statement, Tran said that his election to Congress in 2024 was a message from the community “that delivered a loud, resounding NO to the corruption that has dominated this administration and the Republican Party.”
“I am humbled to learn that our community has placed their trust in me again to represent them,” Tran said. “This win belongs to all of us. To the people in this room. To everyone who knocked on a door, made a call, or believed in what we could do together … Now let’s get back to work.”
Vo is a former police officer who served for nearly three decades. He could not be reached for comment.
Congressional District 46
Longtime Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, won his bid for a sixth term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger David Pan to represent California’s 46th Congressional District. The Associated Press called the race for Correa shortly before 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Orange County district covers parts of Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana.
Correa was first elected to represent Orange County in Washington in 2016. Before serving in the state legislature and on the county Board of Supervisors, Correa worked as a banker, attorney and real estate broker.
Correa said the message he got from voters is that they’re not happy with high prices and the high cost of living because of Republican policy decisions. The top priority for the new Congress must be to alle
“People just want to have an opportunity to make it on a day-to-day basis. They don’t want us in these foreign wars. They don’t want to be looking at tariff wars,” he said. “The message to me is: give us a chance to make a living. Give us a chance to afford to pay our bills. That’s what people care about right now.”
Born and raised in the Chicago area before coming to Orange County, Pan has worked at UCI since 2006. Pan campaigned on a platform to create a universal basic income for everyone who is at least 21 years old, something he also highlighted in his 2024 bid. Pan said his proposal connected with voters this year, but a lack of campaign funding limited his ability to reach enough voters in the district.
“Very few candidates offered real solutions, and I was,” Pan said. “It’s unfortunate that we aren’t going to be making real progress towards solving those problems.”
Congressional District 47
Democratic Rep. Dave Min won his reelection bid against Republican challenger Jenny Rae Le Roux in the race for California’s 47th Congressional District, the Associated Press declared at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The district includes Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest and Tustin.
Min, a former state legislator, was first elected to Congress in 2024 to what was then an open seat. In a statement, Min said results from across the country, including in his own race, show that Americans are fed up with Republicans.
“As we strive to undo the tremendous damage Trump has wreaked on our country and on our democracy over the past two years, we must also push forward in restoring the American Dream and giving working people hope again that this country can offer them opportunity and prosperity,” Min said.
Le Roux is an entrepreneur who serves as director of CAL DOGE, a group inspired by the federal initiative that focuses on identifying ways to “reduce or eliminate the size and scope of state agencies.”
In a social media video, Le Roux acknowledged that “it’s likely” that Min will win.
“I feel an odd sense of peace,” she said. “I’m sure that some of it comes from the fact that we left everything on the field … I have no regrets for anything that happened in this campaign.”
Congressional District 49
Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, won his reelection bid to California’s 49th Congressional District over Republican challenger Armen Kurdian, the Associated Press declared just before 11:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Levin, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, said Democrats must now focus on lowering the cost of living, making sure families have access to the healthcare they need and cleaning up corruption in Washington.
“This is the most corrupt administration in the history of the country, and Republicans in Congress have been asleep at the wheel (while) all of it has been going on,” he said in a social media video. “To my friends across the aisle who are finally, finally, ready to put country above party: My door is open. I know we do big things when we work together.”
It’s a coastal district — spanning Orange and San Diego counties — where military and environmental concerns are especially relevant. That’s reflected in both candidates’ backgrounds: Kurdian is a retired Navy captain; Levin is a former environmental attorney who sits on a House Appropriations subcommittee focused on military construction and veterans’ affairs.
Armen said he felt his effort to connect with voters on local issues was successful throughout this election cycle despite a crowded primary and a lack of money at his campaign’s disposal, but larger, nationwide issues made it difficult for Republicans to be successful.
“When you look at some of these national races, where you have (Maine Sen.) Susan Collins losing, (Texas) Governor Greg Abbott losing, that wasn’t even on anyone’s radar,” he said. “I worked very hard telling folks at the national level and local major donors that this race is utterly winnable. And looking at the race, if you take away those national headwinds, I actually feel that I was proven right.”
Staff writer Jeff Horseman contributed to this report.
