Muristek
COURTESY PHOTOU.S. Rep. Julia Brownley
The National Republican Congressional Committee has added U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Ventura County, to its list of targeted races for 2022.
The NRCC, which works to elect Republicans to Congress, said it is now targeting 72 Democrat-held or open seats for the upcoming midterm elections. The incumbent congresswoman was added to the list Wednesday.
“Republicans have the message, the candidates and the resources needed to take back the majority,” NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer, a Minnesota congressman, said in a statement. “Vulnerable Democrats who chose not to retire will be shown no mercy.”
Rep. Brownley has represented California’s 26th district since 2013. She is a former assembly member and school board member.
Now her district spans most of Ventura County and includes a part of Los Angeles County.
After redistricting, the 26th district includes Simi Valley and the Sespe Wilderness area north of Fillmore, encroaching near Carpinteria. The district picks up some areas around Calabasas and near Agoura Hills but loses Ventura and the area around Ojai. The district keeps Oxnard, Santa Paula and Thousand Oaks.
FiveThirtyEight has the 26th congressional district leaning Democrat by about 15 points. Inside Elections ranked it “Solid Democratic.”
President Joe Biden won the 26th district in 2020 by a more than 20 point margin.
“Instead of dreaming up seats they’ll never win, Republicans should be worried about protecting vulnerable incumbents like Michelle Steel, David Valadao and Mike Garcia,” Maddy Mundy, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told the News-Press. “California Republicans abandoned their constituents by attacking democracy and voting against historic investments. In California, Democrats are on the offense, and we look forward to kicking out-of-touch Republicans out of Congress while holding the House this November.”
Matt Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor and Republican candidate for the 26th district seat, was named an “On the Radar” candidate by the NRCC earlier this month.
His campaign reported having more than $656,000 cash on hand at the end of 2021 after bringing in about $218,000 during the last quarter.
Rep. Brownley has nearly $3.7 million cash on hand after bringing in $223,000 last quarter.
The NRCC also added California’s 13th congressional district in Alameda County to its target list this week.
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
The post Brownley’s district added to NRCC target list appeared first on Santa Barbara News-Press.