California Democrats' candidate glut has officials stewing about primaries
SANTA ANA, Calif._Democratic activists in Orange County threw an impromptu party with cake, party hats and singing after Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announced he was retiring.
But the exhilaration over the opportunity to capture a Republican congressional seat quickly turned to political panic.
There are so many Democrats running for Congress in some districts that they could split the votes in the June 5 primary and send two Republicans to the November election, thanks to California's top-two primary system. Democrats need 24 seats to reclaim the majority in the U.S. House - and are putting money and attention toward 10 California contests. In other words, every race matters.
The volume of Democratic candidates is a particular problem in Issa's 49th Congressional District in San Diego and south Orange County.
On a recent phone call with 300 local activists, organizers fretted over the
