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California's 2nd Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

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California's 2nd Congressional District
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Top-two primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 8, 2023
Primary: March 5, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in California
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Democratic
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
California's 2nd Congressional District
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California elections, 2024
U.S. Congress elections, 2024
U.S. Senate elections, 2024
U.S. House elections, 2024

A top-two primary took place on March 5, 2024, in California's 2nd Congressional District to determine which two candidates would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Incumbent Jared Huffman and Chris Coulombe advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 2.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
December 8, 2023
March 5, 2024
November 5, 2024



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.[1][2]

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.

This page focuses on California's 2nd Congressional District's top-two primary. For more in-depth information on the district's general election, see the following page:

Candidates and election results

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 2

Incumbent Jared Huffman and Chris Coulombe defeated Tief Gibbs, Jolian Kangas, and Jason Brisendine in the primary for U.S. House California District 2 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman (D)
 
73.4
 
170,271
✔
Image of Chris Coulombe
Chris Coulombe (R) Candidate Connection
 
16.4
 
38,039
Image of Tief Gibbs
Tief Gibbs (R) Candidate Connection
 
8.1
 
18,834
Image of Jolian Kangas
Jolian Kangas (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
1.4
 
3,276
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Jason Brisendine (No party preference)
 
0.6
 
1,411

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 231,831
Candidate Connection = 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

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Chris Coulombe

Image of Chris Coulombe

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Born and raised in Sonoma County, Chris Coulombe enlisted in the military at 18 as a private, and returned home 16 years later as a captain. In his final assignment Chris represented the Army to dignitaries and senior security officials from almost every country in the Indo-Asia Pacific, focusing on multilateral solutions to regional and global security challenges. When Chris returned home to Sonoma County, he built a statewide distribution company; co-founded a trade association that helped pass legislation beneficial to small businesses working on policy taxation and regulations in Sacramento. Chris has won several awards including North Bay Business Journal Forty Under 40; his company won the Small Transportation Business of the Year Award from the American Business Association, and a Zennie Award for HR Excellence. The following year Chris won The Irish Echo’s Forty Under 40 award. As an Eagle Scout, he serves as the past president and an advisory board member of Scouting’s Redwood Empire Council, assists his childhood scout troop, and hikes the beautiful wilderness of Northern California with his German Shepherd, Xorro. "

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Partisan Politics is tearing this country apart. It has destroyed our environment, economy, and children's education. We need reasonable, objective, solution based leaders in Congress who vote in the best interests of the people; not elected followers who vote the party line or for special interests.

Economy - Americans must be able to afford to be American. I will work to suspend the federal income tax on the first $182,000 of income for 5-years, helping Americans keep up to $35,000 more a year of their own money. This will reinvigorate our local economies and small businesses and decrease the rate of Americans entering unhoused conditions all without government programs or debt. While our career politicians and political parties play political games, China is focused and will be the largest economy in the world in 2028; we must reimagine and re-invigorate America's economy to compete.

Education - Our children are the future of this nation, they are the ones that will keep America competitive on a global scale when we are gone. At present we are failing to give them the skills and resources necessary for them to succeed. We must realign the stakeholders to ensure the next generation is getting well-rounded and relevant experience and education . That includes bringing parents and business to the table, ensuring the best interests of the children and the country is represented.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 2 in 2024.

Tief Gibbs

Image of Tief Gibbs

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "A proud native of California and resident of Novato, California, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities that our community faces. My journey began with a bachelor's degree in economics from San Diego State University. My husband Walter and I own and operate Vintage Vehicles in downtown Novato. This venture has not only been a labor of love but a direct line to the experiences of local entrepreneurs. I currently serve as a board member of the Novato Downtown Business Association. Being a small business owner in a town like Novato is more than just commerce; it's about the dreams and ambitions that define our community. I proudly serve as the President of the Novato Republican Women Federated, a CAGOP Delegate and a member of The Rock Calvary church. These roles enable me to advocate for the values and concerns that resonate across our district. I have two remarkable adult children, one pursuing her dreams at Vanguard University and the other establishing roots in Chico, California. "

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I want to restore our economy by reducing spending, lowering taxes and making this a state that companies want to do business in.

I want to restore safety in our beautiful state. Crime is a growing problem that affects us all. I want to live in a state where we don’t have to lock up the shampoo in drug stores to keep people from stealing it. We deserve a state where shoplifters can be arrested,where drug dealers can’t do business in broad daylight on our city streets and where cops and courts can do their jobs.

I want to restore housing so everyone has a place to live. All over our state, we have people living in cars and tents lining the sidewalks and bike paths. We need to get people the care they need and get them off the streets. In short, I want to Restore California!

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 2 in 2024.

Jolian Kangas

Image of Jolian Kangas

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: No party preference

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I'm Jolian Kangas. I'm a small business owner and foster dad living on the North Coast. I'm running for office because I'm tired of the partisan games that are causing dysfunction in our federal government while ordinary people struggle. I support individual liberties: the right to express oneself, to make one's own reproductive health decisions, to protect and defend one's family, and to live a life free from want. Government should serve two primary functions: resource allocation, and conflict resolution. Everything else should be decided on a local, community-oriented scale. We need to quit our addiction to funding needless conflicts around the world, and focus our resources on supporting fellow Americans who have fallen through the many tears in our social safety "net." We need to prioritize the health and welfare of our nation, not by interfering in personal healthcare decisions, but by expanding access to nutrition and medicine. Let's steamroll the obstacles to accomplishing what the rest of the developed world has by defeating the partisan duopoly, and making the government work for the people."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Eliminate hunger by expanding EBT, in breadth and scope, to cover more Americans with a more generous grocery allocation.

Defund all overseas military "aid" and divert the savings to paying down the deficit and expanding health and wellness initiatives.

Legalize cannabis on a federal level so that producers have access to financial products and interstate trade.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 2 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

Election information in California: March 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: March 5, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by Feb. 20, 2024
  • Online: Feb. 20, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A
  • Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: March 5, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by March 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Varies to March 4, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (PST)


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jared Huffman Democratic Party $1,015,638 $958,526 $985,923 As of December 31, 2024
Chris Coulombe Republican Party $123,590 $123,059 $917 As of December 31, 2024
Tief Gibbs Republican Party $28,280 $27,906 $374 As of December 31, 2024
Jason Brisendine No party preference $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jolian Kangas No party preference $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. 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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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 in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 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 was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_ca_congressional_district_02.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in California.

California U.S. House primary competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office Districts/
offices 		Seats Open seats Candidates Possible primaries Contested top-two primaries % of contested primaries Incumbents in contested primaries % of incumbents in contested primaries
2024 52 52 7 241 52 42 80.8% 36 80.0%
2022 52 52 5 272 52 52 100.0% 47 100.0%
2020 53 53 4 262 53 47 88.7% 32 64.0%
2018 53 53 2 244 53 41 77.4% 39 76.5%
2016 53 53 4 202 53 40 75.5% 36 73.5%
2014 53 53 6 209 53 38 71.7% 32 68.1%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in California in 2024. Information below was calculated on 1/16/2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Two-hundred forty-one candidates filed to run for California's 52 U.S. House districts in 2024, including 125 Democrats, 88 Republicans, and 28 independent or minor party candidates. That’s 4.63 candidates per district. In 2022, the first election after the number of congressional districts in California decreased from 53 to 52 following the 2020 census, 5.2 candidates filed per district. In 2020, when the state still had 53 Congressional districts, 4.94 candidates filed per district. In 2018, 4.6 candidates filed.

The 241 candidates who ran in California in 2024 were the fewest total number of candidates since 2016, when 202 candidates ran. Forty-five incumbents—34 Democrats and 11 Republicans—ran for re-election. That was fewer than in 2022, when 47 incumbents ran. Six districts were open, one more than in 2022, and the most since 2014, when six districts were also open.

Incumbents Barbara Lee (D-12th), Adam Schiff (D-30th), and Katie Porter (D-47th) ran for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. Incumbent Sen. Laphonza Butler (D) didn't run for re-election. Incumbents Grace Napolitano (D-31st), Tony Cárdenas (D-29th), and Anna Eshoo (D-16th) retired from public office. One incumbent—Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-20th)—left Congress before the end of his term. A special election was held to fill his seat before the general election.

Fifteen candidates—12 Democrats, two Republicans, and one nonpartisan—ran in the open 30th district, the most candidates running for a seat in 2024.

Forty-two primaries were contested, the fewest since 2018, when 41 were contested. All 52 primaries were contested in 2022, and 47 were in 2020. In California, which uses a top-two primary system, a primary is contested if more than two candidates file to run.

Incumbents ran in 35 of the 42 contested primaries. That’s lower than 2022, when 47 incumbents ran in contested primaries, but higher than every other year since 2014. In 2020, 32 incumbents faced contested primaries. Thirty-nine incumbents did so in 2018, 36 in 2016, and 32 in 2014.

Democratic candidates ran in every district. Republican candidates ran in every district except one—the 37th. Two Democrats, including incumbent Sydney Kamlage-Dove, one nonpartisan candidate, and one Peace and Freedom Party member ran in that district.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+23. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 23 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 2nd the 46th most Democratic district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in California's 2nd based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
73.5% 24.0%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[4] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline Democratic Party Republican Baseline Republican Party Difference
72.1 27.3 R+44.8

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in California, 2020

California presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 15 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
Winning Party R R R P[5] 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
See also: Party control of California state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of California's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 43 45
Republican 0 9 9
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 52 54

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in California's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in California, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Gavin Newsom
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Eleni Kounalakis
Secretary of State Democratic Party Shirley Weber
Attorney General Democratic Party Rob Bonta

State legislature

California State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 32
     Republican Party 8
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

California State Assembly

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 62
     Republican Party 18
     Independent 1
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 80

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

California Party Control: 1992-2024
Nineteen years of 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
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
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
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

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in California in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
California U.S. House All candidates 40-60 $1,740.00[6] 12/8/2023 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  4. ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023
  5. ↑ Progressive Party
  6. ↑ 2,000 signatures can be provided in lieu of the filing fee


California's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Alex Padilla (D)
Adam Schiff (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Ami Bera (D)
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
Adam Gray (D)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Ro Khanna (D)
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
Jim Costa (D)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
Raul Ruiz (D)
District 26
District 27
District 28
Judy Chu (D)
District 29
Luz Rivas (D)
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
Ted Lieu (D)
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
Young Kim (R)
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
Dave Min (D)
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
Democratic Party (45)
Republican Party (9)


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