Dana Rohrabacher

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher dismissed the sexual assault claim leveled against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a selective smear effort by the left that should have little bearing on Kavanaugh's confirmation because it allegedly occurred in high school.

"This guy who’s going to be our Supreme Court justice, and he better be our Supreme Court judge, he’s a perfect candidate, and what do they say? ‘Well, in high school you did this.’ High school? Give me a break,” the California Republican said in a recording obtained by Talking Points Memo.

After two years of campaigning in the latest most consequential election of our lifetimes, election night could be a huge letdown. The disappointment is not about which party prevails Nov. 6, but the reality that a combination of close races and West Coast contests could prevent enough races from being called to determine majorities in Congress until days later.

In the Senate, more than 10 races could finish within single digits, and a handful of those contests look like they’re neck and neck. The close margins could make it difficult for media outlets to project a winner on election night. Since Republicans have just a two-seat majority, every Senate race matters, so anything left uncalled could make it difficult to figure out who will control the chamber next year.

With Election Day two months away, all 10 of the most vulnerable House members are Republicans, with one new addition.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida has been replaced on the list by Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder, who even some Republicans acknowledge is in a more tenuous position given his district, voting record and Democratic challenger.

With a growing number of vulnerable House districts, there might be too much to watch for on election night. But by focusing on just a handful of states, you can get a pretty good idea of whether Democrats are having a good enough night to gain the 23 seats necessary to win back the majority.

Competitive races: 5

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher pledged last November to purge his campaign coffers of the $1,000 donation Paul Manafort made to his re-election campaign in the 2014 cycle if the 2016 Trump campaign chairman was found guilty of federal charges.

The California Republican will follow through on that promise, a campaign spokesman told Roll Call, after an Eastern Virginia jury handed down guilty verdicts Tuesday on eight counts charging Manafort with tax evasion from 2010 to 2014 and bank loan fraud in March 2016.

Former Democratic House candidate Hans Keirstead was the target of a successful cyberattack during his campaign in California’s 48th District against pro-Russia GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. 

Rolling Stone reported that in August 2017, Keirstead fell for a phishing email that asked him to enter his password for his work email address, which he also used for his campaign. The campaign also reported efforts in December to hack into the campaign’s website and “hosting service,” and an effort in January to hack into the campaign’s Twitter account. Only the phishing attack in August was successful.

Rep. Lee Zeldin can thank his staff for preventing him from being the latest victim of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.

The New York Republican’s office received a call from someone claiming to be from an Israeli television station requesting an interview with him, the New York Post reported.

The script is predictable by now. 

A Republican primary in an open seat that’s assured to stay red in November? The candidates are going to talk about how much they love President Donald Trump and how much their opponents don’t.

For California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the 2018 election might be his toughest bid yet.

The longtime Republican congressman narrowly trailed Democratic challenger Harley Rouda in a Monmouth University poll of registered voters in California’s 48th District released Tuesday.

Welcome to At the Races! You can keep track of House and Senate races with this weekly newsletter by subscribing here. We want to hear what you think. Email us at attheraces@cqrollcall.com with your questions, tips or candidate sightings. —Simone Pathé and Bridget Bowman