What you need to know about Kern's U.S. Congressional races

KEVIN MCCARTHY, ANDCHALLENGER KIM MANGONE.

THE 21STDISTRICT IS SEEING AREMATCH BETWEEN INCUMBENT TJ COXAND FORMERCONGRESSMAN DAVID VALADAO.HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT EACH RACE."I THINK THEY'RE BOTH IMPORTANTRACESFOR DIFFERENT REASONS."KERN VOTERS ARE DECIDING ON TWOU-S CONGRESSIONALSEATS THIS YEAR.

AND MOSTEXPERTS AGREE THAT ONE OFTHEM IS A SURE-FIRE VICTORY FORREPUBLICANS.

HOUSE MINORITYLEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY ISEXPECTED TO BEAT OUT AIRFORCE VETERAN, AND DEMOCRAT, KIMMANGONE FOR THE 21STDISTRICT."DO I KNOW THAT FOR A 100%THEORETICALFACT?

NO.

BUT I KNOW THAT ABOUTAS WELL AS I KNOW ANYTHING INPOLITICS.

HE WILLWIN THE ELECTION."BOLAR SAYS MCCARTHY'S RELIABLYREPUBLICANDISTRICT MEANS WE WILL ALMOSTCERTAINLY GET AN EIGHTH TERM INOFFICE, BUT IT DOESN'T GUARANTEEHIS SPOT AS HOUSEMINORITYLEADER.

IT WILL BE UP TO HOUSEREPUBLICANS TO VOTE ON WHOTHEIR LEADERSHIP WILL BE IN2021.

MOVING FROM THE23RD DISTRICT TO THE 21ST --WHERE WE WILL SEE A REMATCHBETWEEN INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT TJCOX AND FORMERCONGRESSMAN REPUBLICAN DAVIDVALADAO."THE 21ST DISTRICT WAS PROBABLYTHECLOSEST RACE TWO YEARS AGO INTHE ENTIRE COUNTRY." JUST 862VOTES SEPARATED THE TWO IN 2018,AND IT'S EXPECTED TOBE ANOTHER TIGHT RACE THIS YEAR.YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THEPOLITICAL ADS -- BOTH PARTIESSEEMING TO SPEND BIG IN ORDER TOSECURE THE SEAT.BOLAR SAYS TJ COX, ALTHOUGH THEINCUMBENT, DOESN'T QUITEHAVE AN INCUMBENT ADVANTAGEBECAUSE HE'SONLY BEEN IN OFFICE FOR TWOYEARS, WHEREAS VALADAO, WHOPREVIOUSLY HELD THE SEAT FOR SIXYEARS, MAY HAVE A LITTLE MORENAME RECOGNITION."IT'S A VERY GOOD RACE IN TERMSOFBOTH CANDIDATES ARE VIABLE, BOTHCANDIDATES ARE GOING TO HAVESUPPORTERS THAT ARE TURNING OUTFOR THEM, AND BOTH PARTIES AREGOINGTO WANT TO WIN THAT RACE BADLY."I ASKED BOLAR HOW LIKELY IT ISTHAT THE HOUSE COULD BE FLIPPEDREPUBLICAN THIS YEAR.

HE SAYS,BECAUSE REPUBLICANSWOULD NEED TO REGAIN 21 SEATSACROSS THE COUNTRY, THATWOULD BE UNLIKELY.

IN FACT, HEBELIEVES THAT IT'S MORE LIKELYTHAT THE DEMOCRATS EXPAND THEIRMAJORITY.

INBAKERSFIELD AUSTIN WESTFALL23ABC CONNECTING YOU.AT THE 23ABC LIVE CENTER NOWWITH MORE ELECTION