California's 10th Congressional District election, 2016
The 10th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as a race to watch. Incumbent Jeff Denham (R) defeated Michael Eggman (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Denham and Eggman defeated Robert Hodges (R) and Michael Barkley (D) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
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Primary: California utilizes a top-two primary system, which allows all candidates to run and all voters to vote but only moves the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, to the general election.[6][7][8] Generally, primary elections are elections in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, both parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.
Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50 percent of the vote in the first round of elections. For example, in the 2014 California gubernatorial primary, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) won 54.3 percent of the vote while his closest opponent, Neel Kashkari (R), won 19.4 percent. Both advanced to the general election on November 4, where Brown received 60 percent of the vote and Kashkari received 40 percent. If this would have been a Georgia special election, Brown would have been declared the winner after the first round because he won more than 50 percent of the vote.
As of 2017, California was one of three states to use a top-two primary system. Washington used the system for congressional and state-level elections, and Nebraska utilized a top-two system for its nonpartisan state legislature. Both California and Washington adopted their systems through direct democracy, with Washington passing Initiative 872 in 2004 and California approving Proposition 14 in 2010.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Jeff Denham (R), who was first elected in 2010.
California's 10th Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes Stanislaus County and southern San Joaquin County.[9]
Election results
General election
| U.S. House, California District 10 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Jeff Denham Incumbent |
51.7% | 124,671 | |
| Democratic | Michael Eggman | 48.3% | 116,470 | |
| Total Votes | 241,141 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| U.S. House, California District 10 Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |
Jeff Denham Incumbent |
47.7% | 61,290 | |
| Democratic | Michael Eggman |
27.6% | 35,413 | |
| Democratic | Michael Barkley | 14.5% | 18,576 | |
| Republican | Robert Hodges | 10.2% | 13,130 | |
| Total Votes | 128,409 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
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Candidates
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General election candidates:  Jeff Denham   Michael Eggman |
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Primary candidates: Michael Barkley[4] Michael Eggman - 2014 challenger[4][10] Jeff Denham - Incumbent[4] Robert Hodges[4] |
Race background
Incumbent Jeff Denham was a member of the NRCC's Patriot Program. The program is designed to help raise money and assist vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election.[11]
Michael Eggman was one of the initial members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Emerging Races. Emerging Races is the second tier of the Red to Blue program. According to the DCCC, it includes the districts "where campaigns are on track and working hard to put seats in play."[12][12]
Presidential preference
Jeff Denham
On March 14, 2016, Denham tweeted: “I will be supporting the Republican nominee.”[13] He did not mention Donald Trump in his statement.
Endorsements
Michael Eggman
- The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California[14]
Polls
| California 10th District - Jeff Denham vs. Michael Eggman | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Poll | Jeff Denham |
Michael Eggman | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| Anzalone Liszt Grove (D) October 12-16, 2016 | 42% | 47% | +/-4.4 | 500 | |||||||||||||||
| Clarity Campaign Labs (D) October 11-13, 2016 | 45% | 46% | +/-3.4 | 837 | |||||||||||||||
| Public Opinion Strategies (R) August 28-30, 2016 | 57% | 35% | +/-4.9 | 400 | |||||||||||||||
| Latino Decisions (D) August 18-22, 2016 | 46% | 43% | +/-4.9 | 402 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Media
Jeff Denham
Opposition
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Michael Eggman
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District history
2014
The 10th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Jeff Denham (R) defeated Michael Eggman (D) in the general election.
| U.S. House, California District 10 General Election, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Jeff Denham Incumbent |
56.1% | 70,582 | |
| Democratic | Michael Eggman | 43.9% | 55,123 | |
| Total Votes | 125,705 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
According to a Cook Political Report analysis, the 10th District was one of 13 congressional districts in California that was at least somewhat competitive in 2012. The analysis rated it as Leans Republican.[15] The incumbent from the 19th District, Jeff Denham, won the election in the district.[16]
| U.S. House, California District 10 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Jeff Denham Incumbent |
52.7% | 110,265 | |
| Democratic | Jose Hernandez | 47.3% | 98,934 | |
| Total Votes | 209,199 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: California elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in California in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| February 25, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of signature in lieu of filing fee period for voter-nominated offices | |
| March 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of declaration of candidacy and nomination paper period for voter-nominated offices | |
| April 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| May 26, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| June 7, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Sources: California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed January 11, 2016 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for State Candidate Controlled Committees Listed on the June 7, 2016 Ballot," accessed January 11, 2016 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ California Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ Around the Capitol, "The Nooner," June 9, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Exclusive: NRCC Adds 8 More Vulnerable Members to Patriot Program," May 1, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 DCCC, "DCCC Chairman Luján Announces First 31 Districts In Red To Blue Program," February 11, 2016
- ↑ Twitter, "Jeff Denham," accessed May 15, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "ARNOLD stars for KASICH -- CD25 game changer? -- SUPER BOWL windfall," March 4, 2016
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "2012 Competitive House Race Chart," accessed July 10, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
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For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
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