Reuters / Mark Makela
Voters in two congressional districts have decided that they would rather be represented by accused criminals than by Democrats. Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Chris Collins (R-NY) are both going back to Congress in January, as a majority of voters in their districts decided federal charges filed against the two representatives weren’t sufficient cause to replace them. Hunter is accused of illegally using campaign funds for personal expenses. Collins allegedly provided insider information on a pharmaceutical company to his son ahead of a stock trade. Their re-elections are major victories for House Republicans, who already faced a steep climb to retain a majority. Both Hunter and Collins beat back opponents who saw a sudden surge in favorability after federal prosecutors handed down indictments against them in August.