Gustavo Arellano: Could Longtime GOP Stronghold Orange County Go Blue in Midterms?
Orange County, California, has become an unexpected battleground region that could determine who controls Congress after the midterms. The Southern California county between Los Angeles and San Diego has remained staunchly Republican for 80 years. Orange County produced President Richard Nixon-who was born here in Yorba Linda and retired to San Clemente-and Orange County last voted for a Democratic president in 1936 with FDR. But dissatisfaction with Donald Trump and changing demographics in the region have challenged Republican dominance in and around Orange County. Now Democrats are hoping that the midterm elections will turn Orange County blue. We speak to Gustavo Arellano, a columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He is the former editor of OC Weekly. He resigned from the publication last year in protest against budget cuts.