While the U.S. Senate turned redder Tuesday, the House flipped to blue, and the 25th Congressional District flipped right along with it. Which was never a sure thing.

It was a see-saw ride all night as the results trickled in, but when incumbent Republican Steve Knight of Palmdale failed to take a commanding lead in the first absentee balloting, the die was cast. In the final tally, Agua Dulce Democrat Katie Hill locked it up by a 51.26-48.74 percent margin. Late absentee and provisional ballots will be counted in the coming days, but a 4,000-vote deficit is too wide a gap for Knight to close.

Congressional candidate Katie Hill at Nov. 3 campaign rally at Newhall School Auditorium | Photo (c)Bruce McFarland

Knight had defeated all four of his Democratic challengers, combined, in the June primary. Then the money started pouring in. Hill amassed a never-before-seen war chest of her own in excess of $7.5 million; coupled with many more millions in outside money that targeted the 25th District, she was able to be everywhere in the final weeks. Knight’s estimated $3 million was no match as Hill dominated the airwaves and mobilized her base to get out the vote.

It was a different story in the race for Santa Clarita City Council where the results never wavered throughout the evening, and money, while always a factor, wasn’t in the same ballpark or even the same town. Mayor Laurene Weste and Mayor Pro-Tem Marsha McLean were reelected, and incumbent appointee Bill Miranda won the voters’ affirmation amid a crowded field.

Los Angeles County probably has a new sheriff, although the final tally might not be known until those late ballots are counted. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Alex Villanueva was leading Sheriff Jim McDonnell by 820,333 votes to 815,406. (It’s a 5,000-vote gap, but it’s 10 times the raw number of votes, compared to the congressional race.)

In the Assembly, Republican Dante Acosta overcame a second challenge from Democratic school board member Christy Smith, although by a narrower margin (50.48-49.52) than in 2016 (52.9-47.1).  Acosta lost in Los Angeles County by nearly 2 points (50.87-49.13, a 1,591-vote spread on election night) but more than compensated in other parts of the district. In the Antelope Valley, Republican Tom Lackey again defeated his Democratic nemesis, Steve Fox, 56-44.

On the community college board, longtime incumbent Joan MacGregor survived a challenge from Ann-Marie Bjorkman. MacGregor had faculty support while Bjorkman had backing from the local business community.

There were few surprises in local school board races other than the defeat of longtime board member Judy Umeck in Saugus.

Voters in Acton-Agua Dulce soundly defeated a school construction bond measure that was intended to modernize campuses and complete Vasquez High School construction projects.

At the top of the ticket, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will be scratching the “Lieutenant” off of his door after sending Republican John H. Cox back to San Diego County where he has lived for the past decade. Cox had taken a beating in the primary when his Republican opponent criticized him for being a Midwest slumlord.

And on the subject of rent control, California voters said, “no way.”

But they decided to keep what has been labeled the “gas tax,” which will incur $9 billion in debt to pay for transportation projects.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein staved off a hard-fought challenge from state Senator Kevin de León of Los Angeles who was backed by Democratic Party insiders and led in absentee balloting. By early Wednesday, Feinstein had handily won a sixth term, 54-46.

Finally, Los Angeles County voters overwhelmingly approved a stormwater management measure that imposes a new tax on driveways, patios and other impregnable surfaces. The measure left a lot of Santa Clarita Valley residents scratching their heads after they’d been told to rip out their lawns and put in hardscape.

Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom takes center stage at a campaign rally Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Newhall School Auditorium. Photo (c)Bruce McFarland.

Gavin Newsom, rally at Newhall School Auditorium, November 3, 2018 | COC photo