Democrat Josh Harder is apparent winner in tight California House race

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Josh Harder, Democratic U.S. Representative candidate from California, smiles during a campaign rally with former U.S. President Barack Obama, not pictured, in Anaheim, California, U.S., on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. 

Democrat Josh Harder, a former venture capitalist, is the apparent winner of California’s 10th Congressional District seat now held by four-term Republican Rep. Jeff Denham, according to NBC News.

Denham conceded the race Wednesday, more than a week after Election Day.

Harder, who recently taught business at a community college, is a moderate who was endorsed by former President Barack Obama. Denham, an almond farmer and conservative ally of President Donald Trump, was outraised by about 5 to 1 in the third quarter and was seen as one of the most vulnerable Republicans in California.

California’s 10th District, which went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, includes the northern portion of the state’s Central Valley, a region known for its extensive agricultural production. It is home to a growing number of residents who work in the San Francisco Bay Area but live further inland in cities such as Modesto and Turlock, where housing costs tend to be substantially lower.

Harder had made immigration a key issue during the campaign, including blasting the incumbent’s record on protecting Dreamers, or those immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The district is more than 40 percent Latino.

The two also clashed on issues such as health care, tax and water policy. During the campaign, the incumbent framed Harder as a Bay Area liberal and sought to link him to controversial water and other policies backed by California Democrats Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Jerry Brown.

Democrats have picked up at least 32 House seats, NBC News projects, giving them a majority in the House.