California primary results: GOP catches a ‘top-two’ break

House Republicans got a big break under California’s new primary system
Tuesday, after Democrats failed to get a candidate into the general election for
Rep. Gary Miller’s (R-Calif.) swing district.

Miller himself still faces a tough race against GOP state Sen. Bob Dutton, but the quirks of the new “top-two” system mean Democrats now
have no chance at the district, which had been rated as a toss-up by some
handicappers.

Under the new system, the top two candidates in an open field make the
general election, regardless of party. So while Miller (27 percent) and Dutton
(25 percent) split up about half the vote, four Democrats on the ballot split up
the other half into smaller pieces.

The result: The seat will stay Republican this fall.

You have to love it when the Democrats created the new California’s primary system and have it bit them in the butt.