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CA Primary Election Results Tip Sheet: Congressional Districts 1-26

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Created: 06 June, 2012
Updated: 21 November, 2022
9 min read

California voters have spoken. And while voter turnout was relatively low for a presidential primary, the new California top-two system ran smoothly, with no major glitches or problems.

Here is a breakdown of the results from California Congressional Districts 1-26:

Congressional District 1: After receiving the endorsement of thirteen-term Congressman Wally Herger, Senator Doug LaMalfa (R) easily won this Congressional seat. In a heavily Republican district, where a majority of residents voted for both John McCain (R) in the 2008 Presidential race and Meg Whitman (R) in the 2010 Gubernatorial race, he had little trouble campaigning, raising close to half a million dollars for his campaign, according to the Federal Elections Commission report. The November election will be a partisan battle, with Democrat Jim Reed receiving 25.1% of the final vote and advancing to the general election.

Congressional District 2: With the retirement of Congress Member Lynn Woolsey (D), this North Coast District became an open seat, flooded with Democrats pitted against each other. While the district is overwhelmingly Democratic, two No Party Preference candidates. John Lewallen (No Party Preference) received 1.5% of the vote, and Brooke Clarke (No Party Preference) received 2.3% of the vote. One Democrat and one Republican will be advancing to the November Election: Jared Huffman (D) and Daniel W. Roberts (R).

Congressional District 3: With the addition of Solano County and Lake County, Congressional District 3 remains a highly Democratic district, but as noted by the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Lake County, new voter demographics reduce the percentage of registered Democrats. Incumbent John Garamendi (D) will face "Young Gun" County Supervisor Kim Vann (R) in November's election, creating another partisan battle for Congress.

Congressional District 4: With just two names on the June ballot, both Tom McClintock (R) and Jack Uppal (D) will advance to November's general election.

Congressional District 5: Receiving an overwhelming majority of the vote (72.%), Congressman Mike Thompson (D) will advance to the November election, along with Randy Loftin (R). While the open primary had little effect on the results of this district, newly drawn district lines favored Thompson, who no longer had to campaign up to the Oregon border. With over $1.1 million in contributions, however, I doubt that would have been a problem, outspending his opponents by over a million dollars.

Congressional District 6: There were no surprises in CD06, with incumbent Doris Matsui (D) dominating the primary with 71% of the vote. In a somewhat close race for second, retired military officer Joseph Mc Cray, Sr. (R) will advance as the Republican contender.

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Congressional District 7: As one of the 4 swing congressional districts in California, this is a key race for both parties, which has been made evident in the fundraising efforts from both Republican Rep. Dan Lungren and Democratic opponent Ami Bera. The Federal Elections Commission reports that Bera raised a total of $1,646,591 for his campaign, while the Lungren raised around $1,405,963. Incumbent Dan Lungren received the most votes in Tuesday's primary, with 52.9%, roughly 10,000 more than Democratic opponent Bera. This will be an important race to watch, as Lungren battles to hold onto his seat.

Congressional District 8: For those of you rooting for Independent Anthony Adams, Tuesday's results may have come as a disappointment, with the former Assemblyman receiving just 3.4% of the vote. As Bob Morris reported yesterday, the possibility that the 10 Republicans crowding the race would splinter the vote placed Adams in a position of opportunity. Instead, the June primary advanced two Republican candidates for November's election: Paul Cook (R) and Gregg Imus (R). It was a noatably close race, however, with four Republican candidates coming within 1% of the top two vote-getters.

Congressional District 9: "Rising superstar" Ricky Gill (R) made it passed yesterday's primary, receiving 39.5% of the vote in the San Joaquin County district. The 25-year-old outspent his Democratic opponent by over $100,000, stressing his roots in Lodi and ideals of change. "If there's anybody ready for a change, I think it's us," he stated. With a 7-point registration advantage, Democrats still seem to have a strong hold on the district, with incumbent Jerry McNerney (D) finishing in first with 48.4% of the vote.

Congressional District 10: The final results of the Central Valley District are in, and with 48.3% of the vote, incumbent Jeff Denham (R) will compete against former astronaut and party-backed Democrat Jose Hernandez (D) in the general election. Despite coming in third, Independent Chad Condit ran a strong grassroots campaign, receiving 15% of the vote. In a statement made yesterday, he noted, "We ran a great campaign and I have great people helping me. The best thing about our campaign is our message is right." Lacking the support of a party establishment, Condit still managed to raise $45,000 from walking door-to-door. When compared to the Republican incumbent's $1.5 million and the party-backed Democrat's $603,683, it just wasn't enough to advance to November.

Congressional District 11: No surprises in this safe district, as resident incumbent George Miller (D) advances to the November election. He will be competing against Virginia Fuller (R), who received 31.2% of the vote.

Congressional District 12: There was no doubt that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) would win the majority of votes in this San Francisco district, and with 74.5% of the vote, she will face John Dennis (R) in November, who managed to come in at second with 14% of the vote.

Congressional District 13: In this safe Democratic district, Barbara Lee (D) received 60,500 votes, accounting for an overwhemling 81.8% of the vote. No Party Preference candidate Marilyn M. Singleton (NPP) will have her work cut out for her as she advanced to the November election, up against the popular Democratic incumbent.

Congressional District 14: This San Mateo district will see a traditional partisan race come November, with incumbent Jackie Speier (D) and Deborah Bacigalupi (R) advancing to the general election. Because Speier's district did not undergo any major changes, it looks as though she is the favorite to win in this heavily Democratic district.

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Congressional District 15: In this heavily Democratic district, where Democrats have a 25-point registration advantage, Incumbent Fortney Pete Stark (D) will face City Councilman Eric Stalwell (D) in November. The candidates received 41.8% and 36% of the vote, respectively, with No Party Preference candidate Chris Pareja (NPP) pulling off 22.2% of the vote with just $18,000 in contribution. Based on the primary results, Stalwell could pose a serious threat to 20-term incumbent Stark in a district that faces changes in voter demographics.

Congressional District 16: Incumbent Jim Costa (D) will face Fresno attorney Brian Whelan (R) in November. While Costa is the incumbent, Whelan is confident of his chances, and in a campaign statement made yesterday, told reporters that his victory "confirms what I've been hearing and I've been thinking...that it's time for a change and time for some new blood." Costa also shows confidence, as made clear in a statement to the Fresno Bee earlier this month:"We are developing the broad base of bipartisan support that I've enjoyed in years past." And with almost five times the amount of money on hand, he has good reason to be confident about his chances in November.

Congressional District 17: With the increasing number of Asian voters in this Santa Clara district, Mike Honda (D) secured a spot in November's election and will be facing Evelyn Li (R). Democrats have a 14-point advantage in voter registration, and 38% of the district's voters are Asian, making this a somewhat predictable November race.

Congressional District 18: Incumbent Anna Eshoo (D) received 60.6% of the vote in her district, with Dave Chapman (R) advancing as her general election opponent. Green Party candidate Carol Brouillet made a valiant effort in the heavily Democratic Silicon Valley district, ultimately finishing with less than 4.1% of the vote.

Congressional District 19: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D), who spoke out against anti-piracy laws earlier this year, will safely advance to the November election, with 65% of the Santa Clara District's votes. Receiving 23.1% of the vote, Robert Murray (R) will challenge the incumbent in this heavily Democratic district.

Congressional District 20: Despite campaigns from both a Green Party candidate and a No Party Preference candidate, the Santa Cruz district will results in a partisan battle between incumbent Sam Farr (D) and Jeff Taylor (R) come November. Farr, 70, has been a House member for 20 years, and has served on the Appropriations Committee since 1999. Focusing on the environment, economy, and education, he received  72.28% of the vote in Santa Cruz County, 55.68% in Santa Clara County, 60.57% in Monterey County and 55.24% in San Benito County.

Congressional District 21: In this swing district, John Hernandez (D) will face David Valadao (R). While the seat is open, Valadao received the majority of the votes, with 57%.

Congressional District 22: With just two names on the ballot, both Otto Lee (D) and Devin Nunes (R) will advance to the general election. Incumbent Nunes received 69.7% of the vote.

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Congressional District 23: Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R) will easily advance in this safe district and will face Terry Phillips (NPP) in November's election. While this is arguably the most conservative area of the state, Phillips' run can likely be attributed to California's open primary system.

Congressional District 24: Described as the Congressional race to watch by Sacramento insiders, CD24 is a highly sought after seat for the California Republican Party. While Lois Capps (D) is the incumbent, new district lines create a less receptive district, forcing a competitive race between Capps and Lt. Governor Abel Maldenado (R).  As we've noted before, independent voters will decide the outcome of this race, and while Matt Boutté ran as a No Party Preference candidate, his lack of funds proved detrimental to his campaign.

Congressional District 25: Incumbent Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R) received just over 50% of the vote in this safe GOP district and will face Lee C. Rogers (D), who picked up 30.2% of the vote, in November. Based on voter demographics, it looks as though Democrats crossed party lines to vote for Republican McKeon, which may represent dissatisfaction in the choices of candidates in this race.

Congressional District 26We've been watching this race from the beginning, with Independent Linda Parks running a strong campaign in the Ventura County district. The final results, however, pit Julia Brownley (D) against Senator Tony Strickland (R). In an attempt to pick up a House seat in November, Democrats launched a $1 million campaign against Parks, sending out mailers to Ventura County residents. Despite the backing from Independent Super PAC icPurple, Parks will not be advancing to the November election.

 

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