Key facts
- Incumbent Democrats Brad Sherman and Mike Thompson won their California primary elections.
- Rep. Doris Matsui is trailing in early vote counts.
- Progressive challengers in several other districts achieved victories or are in close races.
- The results suggest resilience of established House Democrats against generational change movements.
- Rep. Adam Gray and Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln advanced in California's 13th congressional district primary.
The California primaries saw established House Democrats Brad Sherman and Mike Thompson comfortably win their races, defying expectations of a major shift towards younger challengers. Sherman, 71, and Thompson, 75, will advance to the general election. In another race, 81-year-old Rep. Doris Matsui is trailing in early returns with just under 31% of the vote, closely followed by her progressive challenger Mai Vang at 25%. Vang's campaign has been controversial due to her refusal to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In California's 13th congressional district, Democratic Representative Adam Gray and Republican challenger Kevin Lincoln are projected to advance to the November general election. While some progressive candidates achieved victories elsewhere, the California results indicate that incumbent Democrats still hold significant advantages, even against calls for generational change.