Northern California and the Central Valley sent six new members to Congress in 2012, but didn't yield the kind of Democratic gains Southern California did. Democrats picked up a seat when physician Ami Bera defeated GOP Rep. Dan Lungren, but lost a seat when GOP Assemblyman David Valadao snatched a new seat that made up for the elimination of retiring Democratic Rep. Dennis Cardoza's seat to the north. Now, Bera is the Democrat most at risk in 2014. But the hottest race in the state so far appears to be a Democrat-versus-Democrat clash in the South Bay 17th CD, where hyper-connected attorney Ro Khanna is taking on veteran Democratic Rep. Mike Honda in a contest that could extend until next November.In 2012, for the first time since it was admitted to the Union in 1850, California did not gain House seats following the decennial census. But thanks to 2010 voter approval, by 61 percent to 39 percent, of a ballot proposition spearheaded by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state became the largest laboratory of redistricting reform yet. The Democratic-dominated legislature was
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