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California's 32nd Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

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2026
2022
California's 32nd Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
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 32nd Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th21st22nd23rd24th25th26th27th28th29th30th31st32nd33rd34th35th36th37th38th39th40th41st42nd43rd44th45th46th47th48th49th50th51st52nd
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 32nd Congressional District to determine which two candidates would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Incumbent Brad Sherman and Larry Thompson advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 32.

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 32nd 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 32

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 32 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Sherman
Brad Sherman (D)
 
58.6
 
91,952
Image of Larry Thompson
Larry Thompson (R) Candidate Connection
 
19.1
 
29,939
Image of James Shuster
James Shuster (R)
 
10.6
 
16,601
Image of Christopher Ahuja
Christopher Ahuja (D) Candidate Connection
 
8.1
 
12,637
Image of Douglas Smith
Douglas Smith (D)
 
1.6
 
2,504
Dave Abbitt (D)
 
1.1
 
1,665
Image of Trevor Witt
Trevor Witt (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
1,635

Total votes: 156,933
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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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.

Image of Christopher Ahuja

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Christopher Ahuja is a small business owner, dedicated and community-oriented individual whose journey in Los Angeles spans over two decades. Recognizing the importance of active participation in community service and has become a driving force for positive change in the city. His commitment to effecting change, one step at a time, underscores his belief in personal accountability and responsibility. A proud alumnus of California State University San Bernardino, Christopher holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. His dedication to education and learning is evident in his ongoing pursuit of knowledge. Currently enrolled at The Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Christopher is working towards a Public Leadership Credential and has plans to pursue a Masters in Government next year. In the wake of the pandemic, Christopher, fueled by a desire to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable city, realized the need to amplify his community involvement. As a member of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council, he actively engages in local governance, shaping policies and initiatives that directly impact the community he calls home. Christopher's passion extends beyond his immediate community involvement. He serves as the Chair of the Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance, Treasurer for Feel The Bern SFV (Bernie Sanders Democratic Club), and is a dedicated member of the California Biodiversity Working Group."


Key Messages

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


Environment and Sustainability : Support aggressive measures to combat climate change implementing the Green New Deal, a proposal to address climate change and economic inequality through a comprehensive set of policies which would save our planet and create millions of new jobs in the clean energy sector


Medicare for All : Supporting single-payer healthcare system, often referred to as "Medicare for All." This would provide government-funded healthcare for all Americans, eliminating private insurance. Healthcare is a human right


Non-interventionist foreign policy : I will advocate for restraint in using military force and believe that it should only be used in self-defense or in response to a direct threat. An emphasis on Diplomacy and Negotiation is a must. We must avoid long term military commitments and focus on domestic priorities such as economic prosperity, infrastructure, and social welfare.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 32 in 2024.

Image of Larry Thompson

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Roman Catholic, Moderate, Energetic, Entertainment Lawyer, Celebrity Representative, Film Producer, Husband, and Father. Acclaimed Hollywood film producer, talent manager, entertainment lawyer, book packager, author, Broadway Producer, and motivational speaker. Founder and President of the Larry A. Thompson Organization (www.LarryThompsonOrg.com). Managed the careers of over 200 Stars and produced 21 Movies for Television, 5 Motion Pictures, 2 Television Series, and 12 Television Specials. His productions have won 2 Accolade Awards, 2 Imagen Awards, The Epiphany Prize, The Wilbur Award, The Christopher Award, and received Nominations for 10 Emmys, 6 Imagen Awards, 2 Prism Awards, the Humanitas Prize, and a Golden Globe. Serves on the Advisory Boards of the Delta Blues Museum, Paulist Productions, and Good News Communications. He is perennially listed in Who's Who In America and Who's Who In The World, and on August 1, 2018, Thompson was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who. Inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Conference of Personal Managers, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Talent Managers Association, and was Knighted in Rome into the Order of San Martino. Thompson was born, raised, and educated in Mississippi and has lived in Los Angeles since 1968. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Taylor, and son, Trevor."


Key Messages

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


"As a moderate Republican, I want all to use Common Sense with Common Civility to find Common Ground to solve our Common Issues."


"Stop arguing and hating, and Let's Start a New Conversation... to Finally Get Something Done."


"Always represent your constituents in your District who elected you and not your political party in Washington who always uses you."

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 32 in 2024.

Image of Trevor Witt

Website

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I am a blue-collar worker and an experienced manager, committed to listening to, serving, and leading my community. I have worked in hospitality in various positions - from barista to restaurant manager and am currently driving for Uber full-time. I volunteer regularly with a valley non-profit dedicated to building sustainable communities through regenerative agriculture. I have a B.A. in International Security and Conflict Resolution and I minored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. While I lean left politically, I am proud to listen to opposing perspectives. I believe that it is essential to listen to those we disagree with if we are to learn, find common ground, and come up with solutions to local and global challenges. "


Key Messages

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


If we want to address local or global issues, cooperation and conflict resolutions skills are essential. This means we need to practice active listening - on an interpersonal level and on the international stage. If we want to mitigate or reverse climate change, we need to have difficult discussions within our communities about walkability and shifting away from car culture. If we want to address Israel-Palestine, we need to hold space for immense, ongoing trauma and grief. If we want to heal this country, we need to listen - without needing to agree or to convince - to those on the other side.


To build sustainable communities and a sustainable economy, we need to shift our economic priorities from those policies favoring billionaires and arms manufacturers to those favoring working class folks and investment in human capital. That means closing tax loopholes and funding free universities, healthcare for all, universal pre-K, and public housing. This can all be done without significantly raising taxes - by making billionaires pay their fair share. For more details, see my website.


Many of our politicians - and many around the world - are stuck in a 20th century mindset. We are not 195 nations separated by nationalism. We are 195 large groups of humans separated by artificial barriers and linguistic and cultural differences. I grew up with Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean friends. I had friends from Iran, Israel, and Egypt. We need to break this mindset of "us versus them." A global community emerged with the advent of the internet and global trade - and while there have been many challenges, globalization is not going away. A human is a human is a human. Individual rights need to be protected everywhere - whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, Hindu or Muslim, Uyghur or Han Chinese.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 32 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
Brad Sherman Democratic Party $2,059,587 $1,106,415 $3,921,945 As of December 31, 2024
Dave Abbitt Democratic Party $2,240 $0 $2,240 As of December 31, 2023
Christopher Ahuja Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Douglas Smith Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Trevor Witt Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
James Shuster Republican Party $5,422 $6,911 $0 As of May 8, 2024
Larry Thompson Republican Party $140,108 $140,108 $0 As of December 30, 2024

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_032.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+20. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 20 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 32nd the 68th 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 32nd based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
69.5% 28.7%

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
68.7 31.0 D+37.8

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


Senators
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)