California's 31st Congressional District election, 2026

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California's 31st Congressional District
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 6, 2026
Primary: Pending General: November 3, 2026
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: Pending 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, 2026
See also
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All U.S. House districts, including the 31st Congressional District of California, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House California District 31

Incumbent Gil Cisneros and Erskine Levi are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 31 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Gil Cisneros (D)
		Erskine Levi (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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.
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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.

Erskine Levi

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Retired Social Science Teacher (30 yrs), Former Law Enforcement Officer & Captain of Security Operations (9 Years), Former Captain in the United States Army National Guard (Combination of Regular Army, National Guard & Reserves) (20+ yrs), Former Military Police SWAT/SRT Team Member, Ft Ord. CA. Cold War Veteran."

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Key Messages

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

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Keep America Safe. Enforce Immigration Laws. Deport Foreign Terrorist Gangs out of our Country. Make Legislation to Enforce Criminal Laws, strengthen our borders, beef up Federal Law Enforcement Agencies (US Marshalls, FBI, ICE and the Border Patrol)

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Election Integrity. We need National Voter ID Laws, Eliminate Mail-in Ballots (except for Medical Reasons, and Military Personnel). All votes counted on the Voting Day. Many states are able to do this. Why do some states take up to 30 Days to "count" Ballots?

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Foreign Policy. I do not want a war, I am not a War Hawk. Diplomacy First, but if we have to go to war, we need to win quickly and decisively. We need to get rid of waste/fraud in the Department of Defense, but we also need to build up our military, give it the most up-to-date equipment and training and of course eliminate DEI/WOKE Policies to make our military stronger and lethal. America First!

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

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. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Erskine Levi (R)

Keep America Safe. Enforce Immigration Laws. Deport Foreign Terrorist Gangs out of our Country. Make Legislation to Enforce Criminal Laws, strengthen our borders, beef up Federal Law Enforcement Agencies (US Marshalls, FBI, ICE and the Border Patrol)

Election Integrity. We need National Voter ID Laws, Eliminate Mail-in Ballots (except for Medical Reasons, and Military Personnel). All votes counted on the Voting Day. Many states are able to do this. Why do some states take up to 30 Days to "count" Ballots?

Foreign Policy. I do not want a war, I am not a War Hawk. Diplomacy First, but if we have to go to war, we need to win quickly and decisively. We need to get rid of waste/fraud in the Department of Defense, but we also need to build up our military, give it the most up-to-date equipment and training and of course eliminate DEI/WOKE Policies to make our military stronger and lethal. America First!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Erskine Levi (R)

Crime, the Defense of our nation, Education Reform (Parental Rights and School choice) and Pro-life Issues

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Erskine Levi (R)

Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Erskine Levi (R)

Listen to Talk Radio stations like AM 870 and read the Holy Bible!

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Erskine Levi (R)

Pride, Integrity & Guts! Be proud of the United States of America. America First! Have integrity to do what is right, not just go along party lines. We need to keep our country safe and secure for our American Citizens.. We need the guts to stand up against our opposition and tell/expose the truth. Do the proper Research to be able to do this effectively. We should not go into this just to be popular or famous. We need to be a "Statesman/ Stateswoman"

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Erskine Levi (R)

Leadership (Captain in the US Army), Organizational Skills, and knowledge of how the US Government Works (Social Science Teacher) and Guts to carry my duties out (Veteran & police officer). I am not a "Wall Flower"

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Erskine Levi (R)

Space, Moon landing. I was 6 years old. I was in Florida and witnessed the rocket Launch.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Erskine Levi (R)

I was a Busboy at a Restaurant. I had it for about 6 months.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Erskine Levi (R)

Not Necessarily!

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Erskine Levi (R)

Foreign Policy Problems (i.e. China, Russia, Iran) China and Russia would like to dominate the World. Iran want to :"Wipe Israel off the Face of the map" and they chant "Death to America"

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Erskine Levi (R)

Yes!

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Erskine Levi (R)

We should have term limits on many public offices to give someone else a chance to run our government.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Erskine Levi (R)

Two Penguins on an iceberg. one penguin looks to the other and says "Radio Radio" Ha Ha Ha!!! Don't get it do you? Making you think!!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Erskine Levi (R)

As long as it does not damage or injure citizens of this nation.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Erskine Levi (R)

If legislation is not good, I would not want to fund it.

What committees interest you?

Erskine Levi (R)

Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Veteran's Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Education and Workforce

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

• Gil Cisneros

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Gil Cisneros	Democratic Party	$142,223	$126,658	$55,641	As of June 30, 2025
Erskine Levi	Republican Party	$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." ** 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.

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.
• 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.

Race ratings: California's 31st Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	9/2/2025	8/26/2025	8/19/2025	8/12/2025
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

This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

2024

See also: California's 31st Congressional District election, 2024

California's 31st Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 31

Gil Cisneros defeated Daniel Martinez in the general election for U.S. House California District 31 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gil Cisneros (D)	59.7	148,095
		Daniel Martinez (R)	40.3	99,856

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 247,951
= 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 election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 31

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 31 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gil Cisneros (D)	23.6	23,888
✔		Daniel Martinez (R)	19.2	19,464
	Submit photo	Pedro Casas (R)	16.9	17,077
		Susan Rubio (D)	15.8	16,006
		Bob Archuleta (D)	10.0	10,151
		Mary Ann Lutz (D)	6.5	6,629
		Gregory Hafif (D)	4.9	4,914
		Kurt Jose (D)	1.4	1,415
		Erskine Levi (No party preference)	1.2	1,166
		Y. Marie Manvel (No party preference)	0.5	534

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 101,244
= 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

• Ricardo Vazques (D)
• Elvira Moreno (R)

2022

See also: California's 31st Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 31

Incumbent Grace Napolitano defeated Daniel Martinez in the general election for U.S. House California District 31 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Grace Napolitano (D)	59.5	91,472
		Daniel Martinez (R)	40.5	62,153

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 153,625
= 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 election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 31

Incumbent Grace Napolitano and Daniel Martinez defeated Rocco Anthony De Luca and Erskine Levi in the primary for U.S. House California District 31 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Grace Napolitano (D)	55.5	49,415
✔		Daniel Martinez (R)	36.7	32,721
		Rocco Anthony De Luca (D)	7.8	6,948
		Erskine Levi (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	17

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 89,101
= 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

• Carolyn Covell (R)
• Jennifer Duffy (D)

2020

See also: California's 31st Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 31

Incumbent Pete Aguilar defeated Agnes Gibboney in the general election for U.S. House California District 31 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pete Aguilar (D)	61.3	175,315
		Agnes Gibboney (R)	38.7	110,735

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 286,050
= 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 election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 31

Incumbent Pete Aguilar and Agnes Gibboney defeated Eugene Weems in the primary for U.S. House California District 31 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pete Aguilar (D)	62.1	81,994
✔		Agnes Gibboney (R)	37.8	49,889
		Eugene Weems (Unaffiliated) (Write-in)	0.0	51

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 131,934
= 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

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

California	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
California congressional delegation Voting in California California elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

California's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Alex Padilla (D)

Adam Schiff (D)

Representatives

District 1

Doug LaMalfa (R)

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

District 3

Kevin Kiley (R)

District 4

Mike Thompson (D)

District 5

Tom McClintock (R)

District 6

Ami Bera (D)

District 7

Doris Matsui (D)

District 8

John Garamendi (D)

District 9

Josh Harder (D)

District 10

Mark DeSaulnier (D)

District 11

Nancy Pelosi (D)

District 12

Lateefah Simon (D)

District 13

Adam Gray (D)

District 14

Eric Swalwell (D)

District 15

Kevin Mullin (D)

District 16

Sam Liccardo (D)

District 17

Ro Khanna (D)

District 18

Zoe Lofgren (D)

District 19

Jimmy Panetta (D)

District 20

Vince Fong (R)

District 21

Jim Costa (D)

District 22

David Valadao (R)

District 23

Jay Obernolte (R)

District 24

Salud Carbajal (D)

District 25

Raul Ruiz (D)

District 26

Julia Brownley (D)

District 27

George Whitesides (D)

District 28

Judy Chu (D)

District 29

Luz Rivas (D)

District 30

Laura Friedman (D)

District 31

Gil Cisneros (D)

District 32

Brad Sherman (D)

District 33

Pete Aguilar (D)

District 34

Jimmy Gomez (D)

District 35

Norma Torres (D)

District 36

Ted Lieu (D)

District 37

Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)

District 38

Linda Sánchez (D)

District 39

Mark Takano (D)

District 40

Young Kim (R)

District 41

Ken Calvert (R)

District 42

Robert Garcia (D)

District 43

Maxine Waters (D)

District 44

Nanette Barragán (D)

District 45

Derek Tran (D)

District 46

Lou Correa (D)

District 47

Dave Min (D)

District 48

Darrell Issa (R)

District 49

Mike Levin (D)

District 50

Scott Peters (D)

District 51

Sara Jacobs (D)

District 52

Juan Vargas (D)

Democratic Party (45)

Republican Party (9)

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