Rural California is seeing its craziest election in years. Can a progressive win it?

Audrey Denney is trying to win a House seat twice – first in a special election, and then again after the district is redrawn

Inside an old Craftsman on the northern end of California’s Sacramento valley, Audrey Denney is spending the day on the phone – calling constituent after constituent to discuss rising healthcare costs, wildfire insurance premiums and cuts to benefits – and to solicit donations.

It’s the mundane way in which an epic, and uphill, battle for control of the US Congress is being fought.