Barbara Boxer speaks to a crowd at USC as part of a Democratic rally. (Photo by Shotgun Spratling)

Boxer had the edge early in the race and clung on for dear life as Fiorina tried to claw her way into contention. Through to the end, polls called the race a “toss-up” because of the very tight margin between Boxer and Fiorina.

At the Renaissance Hotel on Tuesday night, local Democrats celebrated as the early returns came in, showing Boxer in the lead.

"I think [Democrats] have accomplished a lot," City Council President Eric Garcetti told Neon Tommy reporter Hillel Aron, when asked about the many other Republican victories that have taken place nationwide. "Which is precisely why people have had that reaction. When you take on those issues, you're gonna have a lot of people against you."

Both Boxer and Fiorina had the support of party celebrities – President Obama campaigned for Boxer a number of times in California, and Sarah Palin endorsed Fiorina as one of her “mama grizzlies.”

Still, neither candidate seems to have full support from the voters in their state. The San Francisco Chronicle summed it up when it refused to endorse either candidate: “It is a dismal choice between an ineffective advocate for causes we generally support and a potentially strong advocate for positions we oppose. Neither merits our endorsement for the U.S. Senate.”

Boxer, the Chronicle argued, has been in office for 18 years and has yet to do much worth mentioning. But Fiorina, the Chronicle said, falls on the wrong side of too many issues.

The campaign was a nasty one, from Fiorina’s demon sheep ad, to “hairgate” and the scathing attacks the candidates mounted against each other in their televised debate. Fiorina repeatedly tried to paint Boxer as a failed career politician, and Boxer harped on Fiorina’s past at HP, which she also deemed a failure. 

Ultimately, though, it seems it wasn’t the candidates’ pasts that swayed voters, but Fiorina’s extreme stances on issues. Fiorina advocated repealing universal health care, overturning Roe V. Wade and increasing border security.