Democratic Rep. Mike Levin holds on to his coastal Southern California district seat against Republican James Villines, a former state assemblyman.
LOS ANGELES — California Democrat Mike Levin has held his seat in the heavily Republican 1st District since his late 2011 defeat, but the race for his longtime seat remains in serious jeopardy.
With turnout expected to be high in the primary, the incumbent, Democrat Mike Levin, could be headed for a runoff with challenger Republican James Villines, a former state assemblyman.
The race has become increasingly ideological asVillines has made a series of promises to his supporters on his Web site and has taken a more conservative turn as the campaign has evolved.
On Tuesday, Levin received a strong, but not decisive, lead from the Orange County Registrar of Voters as Villines trailed in third.
Still, despite Villines’ best efforts to turn out his voters, Democrats believe he’s got little chance of winning a second term.
Villines has been in a tough position as the race has deepened. With the primary days away, Villines has been campaigning to his heart’s content, but he’s been unable to sway enough Republican voters to his way of thinking.
Villines has been making big promises to his supporters on his Web site. He has declared him to be the best candidate to unseat Levin, which is a position he has not taken until now, but one that he has made clear he has not backed away from in the past.
In an email, Villines made the announcement to supporters that he would release his financial disclosure forms once again. He also promised to offer what he claims is the most conservative platform possible and stated that he was giving Levin a run for his money.
“We’re going to spend $10 million in campaign funds this year to make this district better,” he wrote in the email to supporters. “We’re going to make this district safer. We’re going to make this district a place where our children can take pride in their work, where their families can take pride in their work and where they aren’t afraid for their families and neighbors.”
Villines has made