Cox Closing In on Valadao as More Votes Tallied

(CN) – In a race that was called for Republican David Valadao by several organizations last week, Democrat T.J. Cox is quickly bridging the gap as more vote-by-mail and provisional ballots are counted in California’s 21^st Congressional District.

Incumbent Rep. Valadao led Cox by 6 percent on Election Day, a lead that has now dropped to just 0.4 percent Wednesday evening. Cox is behind Valadao by 447 votes in one of several seats Democrats were hoping to flip in the Golden State.

Vote counting continues in the four counties that make up the 21^st District – Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare. According to election officials, there are still more than 36,000 ballots to count in the four counties, though parts of them are not a part of the district.

The Cox campaign said they were optimistic about the latest count.

“This recent update keeps us on track to win,” said Cox spokesman Phillip Vander Klay in a written statement released Wednesday.

Cox played on President Donald Trump’s lack of popularity in the state, tying Valadao to the president during the campaign.

If Cox wins the race, it would bump the Democrats up to a 40-seat gain. Democrats have flipped six House seats in California so far. Election officials are expected to finish the count sometime next week.

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