GOP targets 6 California House Democrats; Sen. Hall gets Hahn backing

Feb 18, 2015 | 12:27 PM

GOP targets 6 California House Democrats; Sen. Hall gets Hahn backing — Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove, shown campaigning in 2010, is on the GOP's list of Democratic House members it plans to target for defeat in next year's elections. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday announced its top Democratic targets in next year's House races, including six in California.

The California Democrats include five that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed last week among its most vulnerable members, plus Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove).

The others are Reps. Ami Bera of Elk Grove, Julia Brownley of Westlake Village, Pete Aguilar of Redlands, Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert and Scott Peters of San Diego.

Ruiz on Tuesday sent out a fundraising appeal based on the Democrats' list.

Military veteran Paul Chabot, a Republican, has already announced he'll try for a rematch with Aguilar next year; Chabot lost to Aguilar by about three percentage points in the race for an open Inland Empire seat in November.

In another development in the 2016 House races, Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) on Wednesday announced her endorsement of recently elected state Sen. Isadore Hall (D-Compton) for the House seat she is giving up to run for Los Angeles County supervisor.

Hall, a former state assemblyman who won his state Senate seat in a special election a little over two months ago, said earlier this month he would run for Hahn's congressional seat if she decided to run for supervisor.

Hahn's congressional district is heavily Democratic and it is not likely the Republicans would try to mount a serious challenge there.

Also Wednesday, Republican Mike Gin, a former Redondo Beach mayor, said he would also run to succeed 4th District Supervisor Don Knabe, who must leave office next year due to term limits.

Follow @jeanmerl for the latest in Southern California politics news.