But in California, the country’s largest state by population and bluest state by reputation, there was plenty of intrigue: a super high-dollar U.S. Senate race; primaries in numerous, swingy congressional races in both directions that could decide control of the House; a handful of notable ballot measures. The result: a profound Republican turnout boom and rightward shift, a mini red wave that has some Democrats nervous for November and pointing the finger at the state’s newest (unofficial) senator-elect.

The top California race Tuesday night was the primary to replace the deceased Sen. Dianne Feinstein, both to finish out her term through January and to succeed her fully after that. In that race, things went exactly according to plan for Rep. Adam Schiff, the longtime moderate and deepest-pocketed Democrat. Schiff, armed with $35 million of his own, plus millions in outside spending support from conservative groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, spent himself and Republican Steve Garvey, who didn’t have a real campaign and never aired a TV ad of his own, to the finish line.

Remember California’s odd jungle primary system: The top two finishers in every race, regardless of party, head to a runoff in November. Schiff calculated, rightly, that a November showdown statewide against a Republican—an extremely weak one at that—amounted to a sure general-election win. And so he spent lavishly to boost Garvey’s name and targeted Republican voters to produce a turnout boomlet on Garvey’s behalf. The hope was to drag Garvey, seemingly against even his will, into the top two and to keep Schiff’s Democratic challengers, Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, either of whom would be much more competitive against Schiff in a runoff, out of it.