GOP retains Hispanic California district

Freshman Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) kept his seat Tuesday, fending off Democratic challenger Amanda Renteria.

Valadao had 59 percent of the vote when The Associated Press called the race, with 45 percent of precincts reporting.

{mosads}Democrats flooded the race with 11th-hour advertising money in the hopes of snatching California’s 21st Dfrom the GOP. The 72 percent Hispanic district went heavily for President Obama in 2012.

Renteria — a former aide to Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) — had tried to tie Valadao to the 2013 government shutdown, saying his vote hurt the dairy industry at home by slowing food safety inspection.

Valadao countered that Renteria was funded by “radical environmentalists” and uneducated about the dairy industry.

There are nearly 1 million dairy cattle in the district.