“Gentlemen, we fight on the Marne,” supposedly said a French general in 1914 before the historic Battle of the Marne.  Well, gentleman (and ladies), in 2018 for control of the U.S. House of Representatives we fight in California.  California will determine whether Democrats seize control of the House and stop the Trump agenda in its tracks.

The California Target Book has completed its winter 2018 analysis of legislative and congressional districts.  The lay of the land for congressional districts is surprisingly clear.  Below is an analysis of the 14 incumbent California House Republicans, all of whom are running for re-election as of this time.

So 10 of the 14 California House Republicans are currently targeted by the Democrats.  Two remarkable things stand out: the fact so many Democratic challengers have raised significant money this far out from the election; and that virtually none of the Democrats are public figures in the districts where they are running.

This follows a pattern evident in the Virginia and Alabama elections in 2017.  Democrats defeated 14 Virginia GOP legislators, most with candidates initially little known in their districts, and Alabama Sen.-elect Doug Jones was unknown in his state before his upset win last week.

In 2018, the quality or positions of the Democratic candidates may matter for little.  The records of the incumbent Republicans and whether they can be tied to the unpopular President Trump are likely to determine whether they survive.