California Republicans face historic losses in state Legislature as blue wave sweeps midterms

California Republicans are facing a historic loss of political power in the state Legislature, with preliminary election results suggesting the party could be left with just 15 seats in the state Assembly.

If the current vote count holds, it would mark the fewest Republicans in the Assembly in more than 150 years. The last time the chamber had a similarly lopsided balance was in 1875, when just 12 Republicans served, according to the California State Library.

Republicans could also be left with just eight seats in the state Senate, compared with 32 Democrats. Such a disparity has occurred only once before this century.

Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio said the Republican losses will give Democrats an even stronger hold on the Legislature, shifting many of the political battles to disagreements within their own party.

"I mean, it's literally historic, that you can fit all the republicans in a phone booth now," Maviglio said. "The speaker is going to be herding cats, because there are so many democrats that are new, so many with different philosophies, inexperience, it's all going to come into play."

Republican strategist Tab Berg said voters targeted some of the party's more moderate members, including Assemblymember Josh Hoover, a Folsom Republican who has served in a leadership role in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

Hoover pointed to the fact that some of the Legislature's more conservative members held on to their seats.

"I mean, it's been forever since Republicans were this far down in the legislature," Berg said. "None of the bomb-throwers lost, none of the extremely conservative Republicans lost."

California Senate Minority Leader Roger Niello, a Fair Oaks Republican who represents Sacramento and Placer counties, is also fighting to keep his seat. The longtime lawmaker had a narrow lead Monday that was shrinking as votes continued to be counted.

"They were very anti-incumbent," Maviglio said. "It was a 'throw the bums out' kind of election from top to bottom."

Berg also described the results as unusual.

"It is unprecedented to some degree," he said.