The California election battles Ill be watching most closely tonight

Like everyone else, I’ll be watching the biggest show on Election Night: When the dust settles, will Republicans still control the United States Senate?But So, Does It Matter? is mostly about California politics, and we’ve got plenty of drama of our own.Hundreds of contests will be decided here Tuesday.I couldn’t begin to cover them all.

Some will be nail-biters; others won’t be close, but the margins will still tell us something.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story These aren’t necessarily the closest or even the most important contests.They’re the ones I’ll watch especially closely.

And because this is California, I’m counting on surprises.Can Some Republicans Survive California’s New Congressional Map?Democrats drew Proposition 50’s congressional map to knock more Republicans out of office.Tuesday we’ll see how well it worked.In CD 6, Republican-turned-independent Kevin Kiley faces Democrat Richard Pan.

Can Kiley pull off an upset without the Republican label? That’s an experiment worth watching.In the Central Valley, Republican David Valadao (CD 22) faces Democrat Randy Villegas, while Democrat Adam Gray (CD 13) defends his seat against Republican Kevin Lincoln.In San Diego County, Republican Jim Desmond and Democrat Marni von Wilpert (CD 48) are vying to succeed retiring Republican Darrell Issa.Then there’s CD 40: Republican incumbents Young Kim and Ken Calvert fighting over the same seat.

Thanks to redistricting and California’s top-two primary system, two sitting Republicans are trying to put each other out of work.Is the Democratic Establishment Losing Its Grip?Three longtime Democratic congressmen face challenges from their own party.Mike Thompson (CD 4) faces Eric Jones; Doris Matsui (CD 7) faces Mai Vang; and Jimmy Gomez (...