California’s secretary of state reported that, as of 4:43 a.m. on Nov. 5, incumbent Democrat Lois Capps had edged out her Republican opponent Chris Mitchum 51.6 to 48.4 percent to keep her U.S. House of Representatives District 24 seat. This year’s election resulted in the narrowest margin of victory yet for the longtime congresswoman, who in 2012 overcame former Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado 54 to 45 percent to take the victory in a new district that had seen its lines re-drawn after 2010.
In San Luis Obispo County this year, the difference between the two candidates was less than a sliver, with the incumbent technically taking the lead 50.45 to 49.55 percent. Capps enjoyed a wider lead in Santa Barbara County: 52.3 percent to Mitchum’s 47.7 percent.
This article appears in Nov 6-13, 2014.