Newly elected California Republican Party chair Corrin Rankin visited Orange County this week, urging local GOP leaders to double down on efforts to reclaim congressional ground in 2026.
Rankin, who spoke at a meeting of the Orange County Republican Party in Costa Mesa on Monday, April 21, described the region as a launchpad for what she called a “Republican revival,” naming two key targets: California’s 45th and 47th Congressional Districts.
The 45th and 47th Districts were among the most closely watched House races in California last cycle. In the 45th, Rep. Derek Tran flipped the seat from red to blue by roughly 600 votes. Meanwhile, in the neighboring 47th District, Rep. Dave Min defeated Republican Scott Baugh in another competitive contest.
“We want it back,” Rankin said of the 45th District. “We’re going to do everything, we’re going to leave it all on the field, and we’re going to get our seat back.”
In an interview before the meeting, Rankin pointed to the razor-thin margin in a Central Valley race last year as evidence that competitive districts like the 47th District are within reach. There, Democratic Rep. Adam Gray flipped the 13th Congressional District by just 187 votes, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican John Duarte.
“When you lose or win by a small margin, it really tells you that it’s a swing district,” Rankin said. “So there’s nothing that prevents us from feeling and believing that we can regain that seat again.”
But midterm elections have historically been tough for the party in power, often leading to congressional losses.
In 2018, for instance, two years into President Donald Trump’s first term, Republicans lost every congressional seat in Orange County as Democrats flipped four that had been held by the GOP. That same year, California Democrats also won supermajorities in both the state Assembly and Senate.
This year, Democrats are taking an early offensive, targeting Republicans in key swing districts, including the 40th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills.
They’re running million-dollar ad campaigns to highlight constituent opposition to potential Medicaid funding cuts, which Democrats argue would be a consequence of Republicans’ plans to reduce the federal budget deficit. (Kim recently reiterated that she supports Medicaid reform but won’t back a budget reconciliation package that cuts coverage, signing a letter to House leadership with other battleground Republicans stating that position.)
Rankin called Democrats’ actions “a lot of noise.”
“The Democrats are talking about what they think could happen,” Rankin said. “When you get down to the basics of what impacts people and their everyday lives, it’s the cost of gas, it’s the cost of groceries, it’s rising crime.”
Rankin said that Trump made significant gains in California since his 2020 run, flipping several counties that former President Joe Biden had won. In 2024, Trump became the first Republican in 20 years to win Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He also came closer than ever to winning Orange County, though it ultimately supported former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Orange County Democratic Party Chair Florice Hoffman, however, said she doesn’t believe Republicans will gain ground locally, pointing to Trump’s push to overhaul the federal government, including potential cuts to safety net programs, tariffs and plans to dismantle the Department of Education.
“I don’t see Orange County as a place they’re going to be able to flip,” Hoffman said.
But Rankin said she is confident that Californians are coming into the Republican fold, what she’s calling a “vibe shift.”
She referenced a recent poll of 700 likely California voters conducted in March by David Wolfson, a national pollster and Columbia University lecturer. The poll, sponsored by Madison McQueen, a Los Angeles-based media firm that creates ads for Republican campaigns, found that 48% of likely voters are now considering voting for a Republican in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
“You guys can clap for that,” she told local Republicans on Monday.