California's 16th Congressional District election, 2026
All U.S. House districts, including the 16th Congressional District of California, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline was March 6, 2026. The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.
Currently, Republicans have a 218-214 majority with three vacancies in the chamber.[1] To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
Candidates and election results
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Sam Liccardo, Kevin Johnson, Peter Soule, and Jotham Stein are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 16 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Sam Liccardo (D) | |
| Kevin Johnson (R) | ||
 | Peter Soule (R)  | |
 | Jotham Stein (No party preference) | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in California
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Liccardo | Democratic Party | $2,949,934 | $1,045,260 | $1,995,066 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Kevin Johnson | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Peter Soule | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jotham Stein | No party preference | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[2]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[3][4][5]
| Race ratings: California's 16th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 4/7/2026 | 3/31/2026 | 3/24/2026 | 3/17/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in California in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| California | U.S. House | All candidates | 40-60 | $1,740 | 3/6/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 16
Sam Liccardo (D) defeated Evan Low (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 16 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sam Liccardo (D) | 58.2 | 179,583 |
 | Evan Low (D) | 41.8 | 128,893 | |
| Total votes: 308,476 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 16
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 16 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sam Liccardo (D) | 21.1 | 38,492 |
| ✔ | | Evan Low (D) | 16.6 | 30,261 |
 | Joe Simitian (D) | 16.6 | 30,256 | |
 | Peter Ohtaki (R) | 12.8 | 23,283 | |
 | Peter Dixon (D) | 8.1 | 14,677 | |
 | Rishi Kumar (D) | 6.8 | 12,383 | |
| Karl Ryan (R) | 6.3 | 11,563 | ||
 | Julie Lythcott-Haims (D) | 6.2 | 11,386 | |
 | Ahmed Mostafa (D) | 3.2 | 5,814 | |
 | Greg Tanaka (D) | 1.3 | 2,421 | |
 | Joby Bernstein (D) | 0.9 | 1,652 | |
| Total votes: 182,188 | |||
| = 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
- Evan Bell (D)
- Nickesh Viswanathan (No party preference)
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Anna Eshoo (D) defeated Rishi Kumar (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 16 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Anna Eshoo (D) | 57.8 | 139,235 |
| | Rishi Kumar (D) | 42.2 | 101,772 | |
| Total votes: 241,007 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 16
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 16 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Anna Eshoo (D) | 47.9 | 81,100 |
| ✔ | | Rishi Kumar (D) | 15.6 | 26,438 |
| | Peter Ohtaki (R) | 12.6 | 21,354 | |
 | Richard Fox (R) | 7.8 | 13,187 | |
 | Ajwang Rading (D) | 6.7 | 11,418 | |
| | Greg Tanaka (D) | 6.6 | 11,107 | |
 | Benjamin Solomon (R) | 1.6 | 2,659 | |
 | John Karl Fredrich (Independent) | 1.3 | 2,120 | |
| Travis Odekirk (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 2 | ||
| Total votes: 169,385 | |||
| = 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
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Jim Costa (D) defeated Kevin Cookingham (R) in the general election for U.S. House California District 16 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Costa (D) | 59.4 | 128,690 |
 | Kevin Cookingham (R) | 40.6 | 88,039 | |
| Total votes: 216,729 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 16
Incumbent Jim Costa (D) and Kevin Cookingham (R) defeated Esmeralda Soria (D) and Kim Williams (D) in the primary for U.S. House California District 16 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Costa (D) | 37.5 | 41,228 |
| ✔ | | Kevin Cookingham (R) | 35.2 | 38,652 |
 | Esmeralda Soria (D) | 21.4 | 23,484 | |
 | Kim Williams (D) | 5.9 | 6,458 | |
| Total votes: 109,822 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
District analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.
- District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting ahead of the 2026 election.
- Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
- State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Below is the district map used in the 2024 election next to the map in place for the 2026 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.
2024
2026
This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in California.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in California in 2026. Information below was calculated on March 6, 2026, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
A record 289 candidates, 5.6 per district, ran for California's 52 congressional districts in the state's June 2 top-two primaries. That was the most candidates to run for the U.S. House since 2014 and the most candidates per district since 2022, when California was apportioned 52 districts following the 2020 census.
These primaries happened against the backdrop of mid-decade redistricting. On Nov. 4, 2025, California voters approved Proposition 50 64.4% to 35.6%. The constitutional amendment allowed the state to use a new, Legislature-drawn congressional district map for 2026 through 2030.
According to The New York Times' Kellen Browning, the new congressional map made five Republican-held districts more favorable to Democrats.[6] As of April 6, 2026, California's U.S. House delegation included 43 Democrats, seven Republicans, one independent, and one vacancy.
Of the 289 candidates who ran, 154 were Democrats, 97 Republicans, and 38 independent or minor-party candidates. The chart below shows the total number of candidates who ran and the number per district compared to previous years.
That's because in 2026, California used a top-two primary system, in which all candidates were listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advanced to the general election. Consequently, two candidates from the same political party could win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election. In 2024, two Democrats advanced to the general election in California's 12th, 16th, and 34th Congressional Districts. Two Republicans advanced to the general election that year in the 20th Congressional District.
Forty-eight primaries were contested in 2026. There were 42 contested primaries in 2024, 52 in 2022, 47 in 2020, 41 in 2018, 40 in 2016, and 38 in 2014.
Incumbents ran in 42 of those contested primaries. Those incumbents include 36 Democrats, five Republicans, and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I). That's the second-highest number of incumbents who faced primary challengers since 2014. Thirty-six incumbents faced primary challengers in 2024, 47 in 2022, 32 in 2020, 39 in 2018, 36 in 2016, and 32 in 2014.
For two incumbents, their primary challengers were each other. Representatives Ken Calvert (R-41) and Young Kim (R-40) ran against each other in the redrawn 40th Congressional District. According to ABC7's Josh Haskell, Calvert represented 51% of the new district, and Kim represented 35%.[7] As of April 6, 2026, the 40th Congressional District and Texas' 18th Congressional District were the only two U.S. House districts in which two incumbents ran for re-election. Texas also conducted mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 congressional elections.
Six U.S. House districts were open in 2026. Seven districts were open in 2024, five in 2022, four in 2020, two in 2018, four in 2016, and six in 2014.
Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-11), Julia Brownley (D-26), and Darrell Issa (R-48) retired from public office. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-14) ran for governor of California. The 1st Congressional District was vacant due to the death of Doug LaMalfa (R). The 38th Congressional District was open because Rep. Linda Sánchez (D) ran for the 41st Congressional District.
Two districts with incumbent retirements attracted a high number of candidates. Twelve candidates — nine Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent — ran for the open 48th Congressional District. That's the most candidates who ran for any district in California in 2026. The district with the second-most candidates running — the 11th Congressional District — was also open because the incumbent retired. Eleven candidates — eight Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent — ran in that district.Partisan Voter Index
Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+26. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 26 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 16th the 27th most Democratic district nationally.[8]
2024 presidential election results
The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.
Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|
| 72.3% | 24.2% |
Presidential voting history
California presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[9] | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of California's congressional delegation as of March 2026.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 43 | 45 |
| Republican | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 52 | 54 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in California's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Lieutenant Governor | Eleni Kounalakis |
| Secretary of State | Shirley Weber |
| Attorney General | Rob Bonta |
State legislature
California State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 30 | |
| Republican Party | 10 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
California State Assembly
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 60 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Trifecta control
California Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty years with Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Assembly | D | D | D | S | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ A majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, when there are no vacancies, is 218 seats.
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Voters Approved a New Map That Helps Democrats. Now What?" November 5, 2025
- ↑ ABC7, "Dueling campaigns launched in new California District 40 after Prop 50 passes," November 5, 2025
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
- ↑ Progressive Party
