Honda, Aguilar, Lieu get Calif. Dem Party endorsements

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar (D) and California state Sen. Ted Lieu (D) won the endorsements of the California Democratic Party over their primary opponents this weekend, giving them a boost in their races.

{mosads}Honda is facing a well-funded challenger in former Obama administration official Ro Khanna (D). Aguilar, who already has the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s backing, is aiming to beat out attorney Eloise Gomez Reyes (D), who’s backed by EMILY’s List, for retiring Rep. Gary Miller’s (R-Calif.) Democratic-leaning seat. Lieu is facing former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel (D) in a race to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

The trio won the backing of the California Democratic Party on Sunday in its state convention meetings, getting 60 percent support over their opponents.

Endorsements from the state party used to be a huge boost in California primary races. But the state’s new primary system, in which the top two candidates in a primary move into the general election regardless of their party, has weakened the state party’s influence a bit.

—This post was updated at 12:05 p.m.