After weeks of counting absentee ballots, incumbent Jim Costa has survived the Republican tsunami, overcoming challenger Andy Vidak in California’s 20th congressional district.
Vidak conceded the race on Nov. 23 after Costa’s margin exceeded 3,000 ballots.
Although trailing Vidak by 1,823 ballots on Nov. 3, Costa continued to pick up absentee ballots from Fresno and Kern counties, where his 60-percent margin continued to hold. Vidak’s lead slowly eroded after Kings County, where he picked up 70 percent of the vote, finished its counting.
Vidak may have lost in the general election, but should still be given kudos for giving Costa the toughest congressional election in his career. California’s 20th district was built to counter the conservative Kings County with the liberal areas of Fresno and Kern counties.
However, congressional redistricting after the 2010 census may not guarantee Costa’s reelection bid in 2012.
With the midterm elections behind us, the 112th Congress will differ greatly from Costa’s experience in the past four years. Not only will his party be in the minority in the House of Representatives, but most of his Blue Dog Democrat associates were not so lucky on election night, leaving him in a far more liberal caucus.
Costa will also have more trouble dealing with those across the aisle, now beholden by the grass roots Tea Party movement.
Only time will tell whether Costa remains a centrist or moves to the left to accommodate his party. As this election has proven, when times are hard in politics, moderates like Costa are always on the chopping block.
For more political opinions, read the Nov. 12 column, ‘Blue Dog Dems’ splintered.
