 Harley Rouda, Democratic congressional candidate in the 48th district, addresses his supporters at his election night party Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Newport Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) (Associated Press) 
 
 Harley Rouda, Democratic congressional candidate in the 48th district, addresses his supporters at his election night party Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Newport Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) (Associated Press) 
 
 HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a one-time speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan who later became Russia's leading defender on Capitol Hill and an outspoken advocate for legalized marijuana, was defeated Saturday, a victim of California's Democratic tilt and voters' distaste for President Donald Trump. Story Continued Below 
 
 His win adds further padding to Democrats’ majority in the chamber after the party picked up 30 seats on Election Day, and it brings to a close the nearly three-decade tenure of the pro-Russia representative often referred to by critics as “Putin’s favorite congressman.” 
 
 Though ballots are still being counted, Saturday’s tally showed Rouda with 52 percent of the vote and about 8,500 more votes than Rohrabacher, according to the Associated Press. “Going forward, my mission is to be the absolute best kind of public servant - honest, transparent, accessible and tireless in serving the greater good,” Rouda added.  Voters in Orange County, Calif. ousted Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher after nearly 30 years in Congress, making him the most senior House member to lose a seat in this year’s election. ___ 
 
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– A familiar name in Congress won't be returning. Republican Dana Rohrabacher has lost his seat in Orange County, California, to Democrat Harley Rouda after serving almost 30 years. The AP called the race Saturday, with Rouda at 52% and up by about 8,500 votes. The 71-year-old Rohrabacher is a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan whose pro-Russian views in recent years have earned him the derisive nickname of "Putin's favorite congressman," notes Politico. (Rohrabacher said Putin once beat him in a drunken arm-wrestling contest.) Rohrabacher also has been one of the few Republicans pushing for legal marijuana, notes the Wall Street Journal. The victory by Rouda in a once traditionally red district (it was home to Richard Nixon) will help Democrats solidify their majority in the new Congress.