California Reps. Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman sail to reelection

Democratic Congressmen Mike Thompson of St. Helena and Jared Huffman of San Rafael were reelected Tuesday night, overwhelming their little-known Republican challengers in districts dominated by Democratic voters.

Thompson, 69, who has never lost an election, secured his 12th term in Congress with 80% of the vote as of Wednesday morning in the 5th Congressional District, which includes Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati and Sonoma Valley, all of Napa County and parts of Lake, Solano and Contra Costa counties.

“I like those numbers,” he said of the initial returns, adding that the Democratic Party’s prospects nationwide likely won’t be known for days.

His challenger, Scott Giblin, 53, of Santa Rosa, had 20% of the vote as a political newcomer..

Thompson, a Vietnam War combat veteran, is chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, an advocate for universal background checks on gun buyers and a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing panel.

Huffman, 56, won his fifth term with 79% of the vote as of Wednesday in the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Marin County to the Oregon border.

“It’s a good start,” he said. “I’ll take it.”

Republican Dale Mensing, 62, of Redway in Humboldt County opposed Huffman for the fourth straight time and had 21% of the vote by Wednesday morning.

Huffman, a former environmental attorney, is an emerging environmental leader in Congress and serves on the House Natural Resources Committee.

Both Thompson and Huffman represent districts in which Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by about 3 to 1. They have won every general election since 2012 with more than 70% of the vote.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.