April Verlato

April Verlato

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House California District 28

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

UCLA

Law

Southwestern School of Law

Personal

Birthplace

Arcadia, Calif.

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

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Personal website

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April Verlato (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 28th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

April Verlato was born and raised in Arcadia, California. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern School of Law. Verlato's career experience includes working as a businesswoman and an attorney. Verlato was elected to the city council in 2016 and then served as a mayor, beginning in 2020.

Elections

2026

See also: California's 28th Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House California District 28

Incumbent Judy Chu, Robert Gonzalez, and April Verlato are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 28 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Judy Chu (D)
		Robert Gonzalez (D)
		April Verlato (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2024

See also: California's 28th Congressional District election, 2024

California's 28th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 28

Incumbent Judy Chu defeated April Verlato in the general election for U.S. House California District 28 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judy Chu (D)	64.9	204,489
		April Verlato (R)	35.1	110,455

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 314,944
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 28

Incumbent Judy Chu and April Verlato defeated William Patterson and Jose Castaneda in the primary for U.S. House California District 28 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judy Chu (D)	62.7	99,261
✔		April Verlato (R)	33.1	52,369
		William Patterson (Peace and Freedom Party)	2.2	3,503
	Submit photo	Jose Castaneda (L)	2.0	3,156

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 158,289
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Bonnie Wallace (R)
• Kerry Lewis (R)
• Robert Lucero (R)

Endorsements

Verlato received the following endorsements.

• California GOP
• Republican Party of California

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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You can ask April Verlato to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing campaign@verlatoforcongress.com.

2024

April Verlato did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Verlato’s campaign website stated the following:

“	April Verlato’s vision stands on pillars of fiscal responsibility, unwavering support for law enforcement, bolstering national security, securing our borders, championing market-driven healthcare solutions, prioritizing our veterans’ needs, and tackling the pressing issue of national debt. Her platform embodies a commitment to safeguarding our economy, protecting our communities, and ensuring a stronger, more secure future for all. Creating Jobs And Growing Our Economy Mayor Verlato led the revitalization of Downtown Arcadia, advocating for and promoting small businesses. She was one of the founding board members of the Downton Arcadia Improvement Association, a Community Benefits District. The primary vision and goal Mayor Verlato had for the DAIA was to bring events into the area in order to enhance the Downtown Arcadia experience. She knew what it took to be successful and kickstart the economy, all the time advocating for opportunities for minority-owned businesses. She understands our economy is strong in spite of government, not because of it. She opposes job-killing policies that crush workers and small businesses. Gas, housing, and everyday items like groceries are soaring in price faster than the increase in wages, making it harder and harder to stay afloat. Because of record inflation unleashed by a multi-trillion-dollar spending spree, our families and businesses are on the brink of collapse. Mayor Verlato knows what it’s like to raise a family and run a business. That’s why she will push for a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget, fight to stop reckless spending, cut taxes, and seek energy independence. Mayor Verlato will go to Congress and fight for our community to create a climate that brings good-paying jobs and economic vitality back to California and our Country. Homelessness Our homelessness crisis has evolved into a threat to public safety and economic opportunity in California and throughout the Nation. Mayor Verlato has not been afraid to address homelessness and bring forth strategies to combat it. She knows that there are those who have experienced financial hardships beyond their control due to failed economic policies of the government, but there is also a substantial segment of the unhoused population that suffers from drug/alcohol abuse and mental health disorders. An emphasis needs to be placed on addressing these root causes of homelessness, such as expanded mental health facilities and drug/alcohol treatment centers. Funding for facilities, shelters, and housing gets tied up in government bureaucracy and prevents resources from going to where they are needed most. Mayor Verlato experienced this bottleneck when the City of Arcadia applied for Measure H funding for a case manager in 2017. It took a year and a half of red tape to finally get funding for a part-time case manager for the City of Arcadia. Based on this experience, Mayor Verlato supported the creation of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust Fund, a joint powers authority, in 2018 which gives quicker access to funding with local oversight. Mayor Verlato wants to focus on loosening restrictions on funding meant to address mental health and drug/alcohol treatment to prevent homelessness. Direct funding to local regulatory boards can then fund those projects within their local community quickly and efficiently, with local oversight and accountability that provides the assurances that taxpayer dollars are not being wasted. Securing Our Border Mayor Verlato believes that the Federal Government has a duty and obligation to enforce our laws at international borders, and protect our Nation from human traffickers, gangs, drug smugglers and terrorists. She finds it alarming that more than 100,000 young people will die this year from drugs that have come across our borders through drug dealers crossing into our Country illegally. Over 159 people on the Nation’s Terrorist Watch List have been caught entering the Country illegally at the southern border this year alone. This poses a national threat to the security of our neighborhoods here in California. There were more than 2.4 million apprehensions of immigrants entering outside of a port of entry on the southern border in the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September. That tops the previous record, set a year earlier, of more than 2.3 million, according to government data. During the 2021 fiscal year, there were more than 1.7 million apprehensions. Americans and Californians are getting squeezed by the highest tax rates in decades. Mayor Verlato believes the federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Therefore, a smaller government and lower taxes are the keys to economic growth. A proud signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, Mayor Verlato will fight for legislation to stop the unprecedented growth in mandatory spending, oppose any attempts to increase the federal income tax and work to restore the state and local tax (SALT) and mortgage interest deductions (MID). She also recognizes Prop 13 as a key driver of economic success and independence in California and supports the full reinstatement of its provisions despite California’s courts eroding it. Public Safety For All Crime is on the rise, across the nation, but especially in Los Angeles County. While politicians in Washington and Sacramento push to defund the police and fail to deliver justice for victims, Mayor Verlato has consistently shown unwavering support towards law enforcement. She has, for every year in her 2 terms on the city council, voted to support all plans, ordinances, and budget requests from the Police Chief. She has voted to add 4 new sworn officers to Arcadia’s police force since taking office. She asked to put it on the agenda and got 3 other Council Members to vote No Confidence in George Gascon. Furthermore, she has been instrumental in organizing support for the lawsuit against the zero bail policy. Having been endorsed by numerous law enforcement unions and former District Attorney Steve Cooley, Mayor Verlato has shown her commitment to public safety and those who protect our community. Taxes And A Balanced Budget Americans and Californians are getting squeezed by the highest tax rates in decades. Mayor Verlato believes the federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Therefore, a smaller government and lower taxes are the keys to economic growth. A proud signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, Mayor Verlato will fight for legislation to stop the unprecedented growth in mandatory spending, oppose any attempts to increase the federal income tax and work to restore the state and local tax (SALT) and mortgage interest deductions (MID). She also recognizes Prop 13 as a key driver of economic success and independence in California and supports the full reinstatement of its provisions despite California’s courts eroding it. National Security Currently, America’s arsenals are empty, our stockpiles are bare, the Treasury is drained, and our military ranks are being hollowed out. Mayor Verlato will fight for peace through a strong foreign policy that puts America’s interests first and ensures the US military is stronger than ever before. She understands that America’s need to get involved in foreign conflicts stems from economic dependence on foreign oil sources. Mayor Verlato supports American energy independence as a pillar of national security and will fight to expand domestic production of oil, natural gas, and renewables, in order to reduce dependence on foreign oil. She will also support America’s critical supply chains and lead Congress to reduce America’s reliance on foreign nations for essential products. National Debt “The single biggest threat to our national security is debt,” Navy Admiral and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen has said. Mayor Verlato says the country’s $22 trillion in debt is unsustainable and will be back-breaking in the long run. Unless we do something about it, the interest payments on our debt will soon exceed the military budget and Medicaid. That poses problems for readiness and national security. She will introduce an amendment every year to balance the federal budget. Caring For Our Veterans Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed for our country and deserve the best possible care. One of Mayor Verlato’s top priorities is to ensure veterans have access to quality and timely medical care, housing, employment, and educational opportunities. She will strive to see the addition of more clinics for veterans, with her eye on building a major veteran’s hospital and medical center in the San Gabriel Valley.	”
—April Verlato’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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April Verlato campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House California District 28	Candidacy Declared general	$0	$3,250
2024*	U.S. House California District 28	Lost general	$349,181	$341,947
Grand total			$349,181	$345,197
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

U.S. House California District 28

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Footnotes

[show]

California's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Alex Padilla (D)

Adam Schiff (D)

Representatives

District 1

Doug LaMalfa (R)

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

District 3

Kevin Kiley (R)

District 4

Mike Thompson (D)

District 5

Tom McClintock (R)

District 6

Ami Bera (D)

District 7

Doris Matsui (D)

District 8

John Garamendi (D)

District 9

Josh Harder (D)

District 10

Mark DeSaulnier (D)

District 11

Nancy Pelosi (D)

District 12

Lateefah Simon (D)

District 13

Adam Gray (D)

District 14

Eric Swalwell (D)

District 15

Kevin Mullin (D)

District 16

Sam Liccardo (D)

District 17

Ro Khanna (D)

District 18

Zoe Lofgren (D)

District 19

Jimmy Panetta (D)

District 20

Vince Fong (R)

District 21

Jim Costa (D)

District 22

David Valadao (R)

District 23

Jay Obernolte (R)

District 24

Salud Carbajal (D)

District 25

Raul Ruiz (D)

District 26

Julia Brownley (D)

District 27

George Whitesides (D)

District 28

Judy Chu (D)

District 29

Luz Rivas (D)

District 30

Laura Friedman (D)

District 31

Gil Cisneros (D)

District 32

Brad Sherman (D)

District 33

Pete Aguilar (D)

District 34

Jimmy Gomez (D)

District 35

Norma Torres (D)

District 36

Ted Lieu (D)

District 37

Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)

District 38

Linda Sánchez (D)

District 39

Mark Takano (D)

District 40

Young Kim (R)

District 41

Ken Calvert (R)

District 42

Robert Garcia (D)

District 43

Maxine Waters (D)

District 44

Nanette Barragán (D)

District 45

Derek Tran (D)

District 46

Lou Correa (D)

District 47

Dave Min (D)

District 48

Darrell Issa (R)

District 49

Mike Levin (D)

District 50

Scott Peters (D)

District 51

Sara Jacobs (D)

District 52

Juan Vargas (D)

Democratic Party (45)

Republican Party (9)