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House Democrats walk out of the US Capitol building during votes in protest June 28, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Congressional Democrats need 25 seats to retake the gavel from Republicans this November.

It's a tall order and an expensive one. Both parties consider California a battleground for house races, and buckets of campaign cash are being dumped into the Golden State.

As part of The California Report's Election 2012 coverage, reporter Tara Siler takes a look at four tough contests in and around Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley.