By Kurt Gonska on June 04, 2014

By Michael Blood. Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Several vulnerable U.S. House freshmen survived tight contests in California’s congressional races, as Democrats sought to gain ground in the party’s longshot bid to reclaim majority control in Washington.

Tuesday’s primary contests in the nation’s most populous state sent pairs of candidates to November runoffs and foreshadowed what will be costly, toss-up battles this fall.

Locally, Republican Elan Carr will face Democrat Ted Lieu to represent Santa Monica in Congress. Carr won 17,904 votes, or 21.49 percent. Lieu received 15,870 votes or 19.05 percent. The two emerged from a crowded field of 18 candidates.

Santa Monica school board member Ben Allen took first place in the race for State Senator with 19,710 votes or 21.82 percent. He will face Sandra Fluke in November who received 17,797 votes or 19.70 percent. Both candidates are Democrats.

Read more at the Santa Monica Daily Press.