Fierce fights over US House, LA mayor top California ballot

MICHAEL R. BLOOD
AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s midterm elections are coming to a close with a burst of house-to-house campaigning and nonstop TV advertising. Candidates made their closing arguments in a year when the top state races include competitive contests for nearly a dozen U.S. House seats and a close match-up for Los Angeles mayor between U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso. Nationally, Democrats are defending their fragile control in the House and the Senate with an unpopular president in the White House and voters pessimistic about the economy. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned on behalf of Democratic candidates at the University of California, Los Angeles.