California's 31st Congressional District election, 2016
The 31st 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 safely Democratic. Incumbent Pete Aguilar (D) defeated Paul Chabot (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Aguilar and Chabot defeated Kaisar Ahmed (D), Joe Baca (R), and Sean Flynn (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[4][5]
| 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.[6][7]
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.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Pete Aguilar (D), who was first elected in 2014.
California's 31st Congressional District is located in the southern portion of the state and includes the southwestern corner of San Bernardino County.[8]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Pete Aguilar Incumbent |
56.1% | 121,070 | |
| Republican | Paul Chabot | 43.9% | 94,866 | |
| Total Votes | 215,936 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Pete Aguilar Incumbent |
43.1% | 48,518 | |
| Republican | Paul Chabot |
22.7% | 25,534 | |
| Republican | Joe Baca | 12.4% | 14,020 | |
| Democratic | Kaisar Ahmed | 11% | 12,418 | |
| Republican | Sean Flynn | 10.8% | 12,130 | |
| Total Votes | 112,620 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates:  Pete Aguilar   Paul Chabot |
|
Primary candidates: Pete Aguilar - Incumbent[4] Kaisar Ahmed[4] Joe Baca - Former Democratic U.S. Rep.[9] Paul Chabot[4] Sean Flynn[10] |
Race background
Incumbent Pete Aguilar was one of the initial 14 members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2016 election.[11]
Sean Flynn was a member of the NRCC's Young Guns Program in 2016. The Young Guns program "supports and mentors challenger and open-seat candidates in races across the country."[12]
Media
Pete Aguilar
Opposition
|
American Action Network released $50,000 ad buys targeting incumbent Pete Aguilar (D) among others. The ad attacks Aguilar for supporting the Iran nuclear deal.[13]
Sean Flynn
|
District history
2014
Incumbent Gary Miller (R) retired in 2014. Pete Aguilar (D) defeated Paul Chabot (R) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pete Aguilar |
51.7% | 51,622 | |
| Republican | Paul Chabot | 48.3% | 48,162 | |
| Total Votes | 99,784 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
According to a Cook Political Report analysis, the 31st District was one of 13 congressional districts in California that was competitive in 2012. The analysis rated it as Republican Toss Up.[14] District 42 incumbent Gary Miller won election in the district.[15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Miller Incumbent |
55.2% | 88,964 | |
| Republican | Bob Dutton | 44.8% | 72,255 | |
| Total Votes | 161,219 | |||
| 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 for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 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, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ California Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ San Bernardino County Elections, "2016 Presidential Primary Election Candidate list," accessed March 10, 2016
- ↑ Sean Flynn for Congress, "About," accessed February 19, 2016
- ↑ Roll Call, "Exclusive: DCCC Announces 14 Incumbents in Frontline Program," February 12, 2015
- ↑ NRCC, "32 Congressional Candidates Announced “On the Radar” as Part of NRCC’s Young Guns Program," November 19, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "GOP group targets Dems on Iran," September 9, 2015
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "2012 Competitive House Race Chart," accessed July 10, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
