California's 20th Congressional District election, 2026
All U.S. House districts, including the 20th 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
Note: The following list of candidates is unofficial. The filing deadline for this election has passed, and Ballotpedia is working to update this page with the official candidate list. This note will be removed once the official candidate list has been added.
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 20
The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 20 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Vince Fong (R) | ||
Ben Dewell (No party preference) ![]() | ||
| Jeremy Fox (No party preference) | ||
| Patrick Robb (D) | ||
| Carol Kristina Roper (D) | ||
Sandra Van Scotter (D) ![]() | ||
= 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vince Fong | Republican Party | $1,207,536 | $949,852 | $296,915 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Patrick Robb | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Carol Kristina Roper | Democratic Party | $104,400 | $10,609 | $93,791 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Sandra Van Scotter | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ben Dewell | No party preference | $704 | $222 | $1,185 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jeremy Fox | 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 20th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 3/17/2026 | 3/10/2026 | 3/3/2026 | 2/24/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| 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.
Regular election
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 20
Incumbent Vince Fong (R) defeated Mike Boudreaux (R) (Withdrew, still on ballot) in the general election for U.S. House California District 20 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vince Fong (R) | 65.1 | 187,862 |
| | Mike Boudreaux (R) (Withdrew, still on ballot) | 34.9 | 100,926 | |
| Total votes: 288,788 | ||||
= 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 20
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 20 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vince Fong (R) | 41.9 | 66,160 |
| ✔ | | Mike Boudreaux (R) | 24.0 | 37,883 |
| | Marisa Wood (D) | 21.2 | 33,509 | |
| | Kyle Kirkland (R) ![]() | 4.1 | 6,429 | |
| | Andy Morales (D) | 2.8 | 4,381 | |
| | Stan Ellis (R) | 2.1 | 3,252 | |
| | David Giglio (R) (Withdrew, still on ballot) | 1.4 | 2,224 | |
| | Ben Dewell (No party preference) | 1.0 | 1,509 | |
| | Matt Stoll (R) | 0.7 | 1,131 | |
| Kelly Kulikoff (R) | 0.5 | 724 | ||
| | T.J. Esposito (No party preference) | 0.3 | 541 | |
| | James Cardoza (No party preference) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 9 | |
| Total votes: 157,752 | ||||
= 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
- Johnathon Burrows (D)
- Nathaniel Bruce (R)
- Matthew Piatt (R)
Special election
General election
Special general election for U.S. House California District 20
Vince Fong (R) defeated Mike Boudreaux (R) in the special general election for U.S. House California District 20 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vince Fong (R) | 60.6 | 50,643 |
| | Mike Boudreaux (R) | 39.4 | 32,952 | |
| Total votes: 83,595 | ||||
= 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
Special Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 20
The following candidates ran in the special primary for U.S. House California District 20 on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vince Fong (R) | 42.3 | 51,194 |
| ✔ | | Mike Boudreaux (R) | 25.8 | 31,202 |
| | Marisa Wood (D) | 22.6 | 27,337 | |
| | Kyle Kirkland (R) | 4.9 | 5,941 | |
| | Harmesh Kumar (D) | 2.4 | 2,885 | |
| | Ben Dewell (No party preference) | 0.9 | 1,074 | |
| David Fluhart (No party preference) | 0.7 | 878 | ||
| | James Cardoza (No party preference) ![]() | 0.2 | 298 | |
| | Anna Zoë Cohen (R) | 0.2 | 289 | |
| Total votes: 121,098 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 20
Incumbent Kevin McCarthy (R) defeated Marisa Wood (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 20 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kevin McCarthy (R) | 67.2 | 153,847 |
| | Marisa Wood (D) | 32.8 | 74,934 | |
| Total votes: 228,781 | ||||
= 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 20
Incumbent Kevin McCarthy (R) and Marisa Wood (D) defeated Ben Dewell (D), James Davis (R), and James Macauley (R) in the primary for U.S. House California District 20 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kevin McCarthy (R) | 61.3 | 85,748 |
| ✔ | | Marisa Wood (D) | 24.0 | 33,511 |
| | Ben Dewell (D) ![]() | 6.3 | 8,757 | |
| James Davis (R) | 4.6 | 6,382 | ||
| | James Macauley (R) ![]() | 3.9 | 5,488 | |
| Total votes: 139,886 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 20
Incumbent Jimmy Panetta (D) defeated Jeff Gorman (R) in the general election for U.S. House California District 20 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jimmy Panetta (D) | 76.8 | 236,896 |
| | Jeff Gorman (R) ![]() | 23.2 | 71,658 | |
| Total votes: 308,554 | ||||
= 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 20
Incumbent Jimmy Panetta (D) and Jeff Gorman (R) defeated Adam Bolaños Scow (D) in the primary for U.S. House California District 20 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jimmy Panetta (D) | 66.2 | 123,615 |
| ✔ | | Jeff Gorman (R) ![]() | 20.3 | 38,001 |
| | Adam Bolaños Scow (D) ![]() | 13.5 | 25,172 | |
| Total votes: 186,788 | ||||
= 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

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 R+15. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 15 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made California's 20th the 76th most Republican district nationally.[6]
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 |
|---|---|
| 32.8% | 64.9% |
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[7] | 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 | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
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
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
- ↑ Progressive Party
