California's 16th Congressional District elections, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Jim Costa Incumbent |
50.7% | 46,277 | |
| Republican | Johnny Tacherra | 49.3% | 44,943 | |
| Total Votes | 91,220 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
The 16th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.
Over two weeks after the election, on November 19, 2014, the winner was announced. Jim Costa (D) defeated Johnny Tacherra (R) in the general election.
Incumbent Costa and Tacherra advanced past the blanket primary on June 3. Costa was expected to win re-election in November due to his incumbency and the district's Democratic alignment. However, he faced a much more difficult fight than expected.
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[3][4]
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% of the vote in the first round of elections.
As of June 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by May 19, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 20, 2014 (the 15th calendar day before that election).[5]
- See also: California elections, 2014
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Jim Costa (D), who was first elected in 2004.
California's 16th Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes Merced County, portions of Fresno County, and southern Madera County.[6]
Candidates
General election candidates
June 3, 2014, primary results
Withdrew
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Costa Incumbent |
50.7% | 46,277 | |
| Republican | Johnny Tacherra | 49.3% | 44,943 | |
| Total Votes | 91,220 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Jim Costa Incumbent |
44.3% | 25,586 | |
| Republican | Johnny Tacherra |
21.7% | 12,542 | |
| Republican | Steve Crass | 15.4% | 8,877 | |
| Republican | Mel Levey | 7.9% | 4,565 | |
| Republican | Joanna Garcia-Botelho | 6.6% | 3,827 | |
| Democratic | Job Melton | 4.1% | 2,370 | |
| Total Votes | 57,767 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Key votes
Below are important votes the incumbent cast during the 113th Congress.
HR 644
- See also: Bowe Bergdahl exchange
On September 9, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 644, a resolution condemning President Barack Obama's act of exchanging five Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.[9][10] The House voted 249-163 for resolution, with all Republicans and 22 Democrats supporting the bill. Fourteen Democrats and five Republicans did not vote on the resolution, while all other Democrats opposed its passage.[10] Jim Costa dissented from the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.[9][10]
Government shutdown
- See also: United States budget debate, 2013
On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.[11] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.[12] Jim Costa voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.[13]
The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[14] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Jim Costa voted for HR 2775.[15]
Campaign contributions
Jim Costa
| Jim Costa (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[16] | April 12, 2013 | $210,609.24 | $30,260.00 | $(68,053.32) | $172,815.92 | ||||
| July Quarterly[17] | July 11, 2013 | $172,815.92 | $137,765.00 | $(66,887.28) | $243,693.64 | ||||
| October Quarterly[18] | October 10, 2013 | $243,693.64 | $73,364.23 | $(46,228.54) | $270,829.33 | ||||
| Year-End[19] | January 13, 2014 | $270,829 | $360,058 | $(76,575) | $554,312 | ||||
| April Quarterly[20] | April 12, 2014 | $554,312 | $145,540 | $(57,313) | $642,539 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[21] | May 23, 2014 | $642,539 | $48,750 | $(63,666) | $627,622 | ||||
| July Quarterly[22] | July 10, 2014 | $627,622 | $172,004 | $(39,868) | $759,759 | ||||
| October Quarterly[23] | October 15, 2014 | $759,759 | $328,600 | $(127,336) | $961,022 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $1,296,341.23 | $(545,927.14) | ||||||||
Johnny Tacherra
| Johnny Tacherra (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| October Quarterly[24] | October 15, 2013 | $0.00 | $3,600.27 | $(1,434.51) | $2,165.76 | ||||
| Year-End[25] | January 31, 2014 | $2,165 | $10,154 | $(10,504) | $1,815 | ||||
| April Quarterly[26] | April 15, 2014 | $1,815 | $27,143 | $(16,082) | $12,876 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[27] | May 17, 2014 | $12,876 | $39,812 | $(44,976) | $7,712 | ||||
| July Quarterly[28] | July 15, 2014 | $7,712 | $25,040 | $(15,405) | $17,346 | ||||
| October Quarterly[29] | October 15, 2014 | $17,346 | $174,127 | $(144,065) | $43,003 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $279,876.27 | $(232,466.51) | ||||||||
Joanna Botelho
| Joanna Botelho (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| October Quarterly[30] | October 15, 2013 | $0.00 | $700.00 | $(0.00) | $700.00 | ||||
| Year-End[31] | January 23, 2014 | $700 | $6,876 | $(4,169) | $3,407 | ||||
| April Quarterly[32] | April 15, 2014 | $3,407 | $15,085 | $(8,627) | $9,864 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[33] | May 22, 2014 | $9,864 | $3,540 | $(7,994) | $5,410 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $26,201 | $(20,790) | ||||||||
**As of the 2014 Pre-Primary Report, Botelho's committee owed $14,500 in outstanding loans to Joanna Botelho.
Steve Crass
| Steve Crass (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[34] | April 15, 2014 | $0 | $109,570 | $(36,169) | $73,400 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[35] | May 22, 2014 | $73,400 | $26,707 | $(37,985) | $62,121 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $136,277 | $(74,154) | ||||||||
Mel Levey
| Mel Levey (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| Year-End[36] | January 28, 2014 | $0 | $23,000 | $(4,455) | $18,544 | ||||
| April Quarterly[37] | April 15, 2014 | $18,544 | $11,233 | $(19,580) | $10,197 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[38] | May 22, 2014 | $10,197 | $1,950 | $(3,236) | $8,911 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $36,183 | $(27,271) | ||||||||
**As of the 2014 Pre-Primary Report, Levey's committee owed $10,000 in outstanding loans to Mel Levey.
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
|---|
 |
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2012
On November 6, 2012, Jim Costa (D) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Brian Daniel Whelan in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Costa Incumbent |
57.4% | 84,649 | |
| Republican | Brian Daniel Whelan | 42.6% | 62,801 | |
| Total Votes | 147,450 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Zoe Lofgren won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Daniel Sahagun (R) and Edward Gonzalez (L) in the general election.[39]
| U.S. House, California District 16 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Zoe Lofgren incumbent |
67.8% | 105,841 | |
| Republican | Daniel Sahagun | 24.3% | 37,913 | |
| Libertarian | Edward Gonzalez | 7.9% | 12,304 | |
| Total Votes | 156,058 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
External links
- California Elections & Voter Information
- California Secretary of State, Official primary candidate list
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 HOUSE RACE RATINGS FOR June 26, 2014," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State Website, "Voter Registration," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ Photo submission to Ballotpedia, October 19, 2013
- ↑ Facebook, "Tacherra For Congress," accessed October 9, 2013
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Hill, "House votes to condemn administration over Taliban prisoner swap," September 9, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 485," accessed September 10, 2014
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa April Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa July Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa October Quarterly," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa Year-End," accessed February 4, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa July Quarterly," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jim Costa October Quarterly," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra October Quarterly," accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra Year-End," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra April Quarterly," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra July Quarterly," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Johnny Tacherra October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joanna Botelho October Quarterly," accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joanna Botelho Year-End," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joanna Botelho April Quarterly," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Joanna Botelho Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Steve Crass April Quarterly," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Steve Crass Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Mel Levey Year-End," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Mel Levey April Quarterly," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Mel Levey Pre-Primary," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
