California's 34th Congressional District election, 2024

2026 → ← 2022
California's 34th Congressional District
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
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All U.S. House districts, including the 34th Congressional District of California, held elections in 2024. The general election was November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024. The filing deadline was December 8, 2023.

This race was one of 75 races in 2024 that was a rematch of the 2022 election. In 2024, Democrats won 39 of these matches, while Republicans won 36 of them. Democrats won 38 of those districts in 2022, and Republicans won 37.

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress. All 435 House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans held a 220-212 majority with three vacancies. As a result of the election, Republicans retained control of the U.S. House, winning 220 seats to Democrats' 215. To read more about the 2024 U.S. House elections, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, Democrats won the general election with no Republican opposition. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 81.0%-16.7%.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• California's 34th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez defeated David Kim in the general election for U.S. House California District 34 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	55.6	105,394
		David Kim (D)	44.4	84,020

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 189,414
= 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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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez and David Kim defeated Calvin Lee, Aaron Reveles, and David Ferrell in the primary for U.S. House California District 34 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	51.2	41,611
✔		David Kim (D)	27.9	22,703
		Calvin Lee (R)	14.1	11,495
		Aaron Reveles (Peace and Freedom Party)	4.0	3,223
		David Ferrell (D)	2.8	2,312

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,344
= 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.

David Kim

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "As the son of a Korean pastor, my childhood was immediately defined by service and engagement with the community. This value became integral to my purpose and identity, driving my work in community organizing and throughout my career. I work as an attorney with experience in a wide range of fields, all tied to seeking justice for and fighting for resources for marginalized people. I have served as an elected neighborhood council board member who was privileged to fight for the needs of my fellow neighbors. I have investigated corruption, worked on labor cases, and defended those whose only “crime” was wanting to be American in immigration courts. Today, I fight for the most vulnerable parents in Los Angeles County’s children courts. These experiences allow me to recognize our community’s financial suffering and identify the actions necessary to help our neighbors experiencing hardship."

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Key Messages

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

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People-Centered Politics: Our political system drives a disparity of wealth/power between the donor class and the majority of Americans. The lack of substantive improvements in the American quality of life, despite increases in economic productivity over 40 years, is attributable to the corporate stronghold of our politics. Corporate PACs, lobbyists, in conjunction with policies intended to suppress the vote of working-class Americans, stall legislative solutions to economic, environmental, and political crises. We must dismantle this matrix of deceptive governance and replace it with a structure that centers the people. It starts by setting a proper example: I have and will never accept a cent from any corporate donor, unlike the incumbent

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Co-Governance: CA-34 has suffered from a trend experienced by far too many congressional districts- a representative disconnected from their constituency. My campaign is built upon the philosophy of Co-Governance; rather than merely towing the party line, a representative must maintain a mutual relationship with the voices of their district. Those voices, not establishment leadership in Washington, know what is best for their communities. Through in-person town halls, regular office hours, and responsive representation, I will govern with my constituency, ensuring I am solely guided by the needs of the people.

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Life-Empowering Policies: My two prior goals together build a foundation that allows us to advance towards policies that empower all American lives. We must prioritize legislation that constructs social safety nets, giving every individual a guaranteed floor to stand on, and thrive: Medicare for All, tuition-free university for all, affordable/public housing, a Green New Deal, and community investment. Such initiatives equitably address systemic barriers that have historically impeded communities’ development of generational wealth. The incumbent’s collusion with corporate donors and status quo entities leaves him incapable of truly fighting for life-empowering initiatives as this future can only be attained through true progressivism.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House California District 34 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

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

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 21, 2024
• Online: Oct. 21, 2024

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

Yes

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: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Varies to Nov. 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)

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?

David Kim (D)

People-Centered Politics: Our political system drives a disparity of wealth/power between the donor class and the majority of Americans. The lack of substantive improvements in the American quality of life, despite increases in economic productivity over 40 years, is attributable to the corporate stronghold of our politics. Corporate PACs, lobbyists, in conjunction with policies intended to suppress the vote of working-class Americans, stall legislative solutions to economic, environmental, and political crises. We must dismantle this matrix of deceptive governance and replace it with a structure that centers the people. It starts by setting a proper example: I have and will never accept a cent from any corporate donor, unlike the incumbent

Co-Governance: CA-34 has suffered from a trend experienced by far too many congressional districts- a representative disconnected from their constituency. My campaign is built upon the philosophy of Co-Governance; rather than merely towing the party line, a representative must maintain a mutual relationship with the voices of their district. Those voices, not establishment leadership in Washington, know what is best for their communities. Through in-person town halls, regular office hours, and responsive representation, I will govern with my constituency, ensuring I am solely guided by the needs of the people.

Life-Empowering Policies: My two prior goals together build a foundation that allows us to advance towards policies that empower all American lives. We must prioritize legislation that constructs social safety nets, giving every individual a guaranteed floor to stand on, and thrive: Medicare for All, tuition-free university for all, affordable/public housing, a Green New Deal, and community investment. Such initiatives equitably address systemic barriers that have historically impeded communities’ development of generational wealth. The incumbent’s collusion with corporate donors and status quo entities leaves him incapable of truly fighting for life-empowering initiatives as this future can only be attained through true progressivism.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

David Kim (D)

It is my goal to:

Provide economic security for all in the form of a monthly Universal Basic Income, Medicare For All, a Homes Guarantee, free public college/vocational schools, student debt cancellation, Jobs with Living Wages, a 4-Day Work Week and more.

End political corruption by banning corporate PACs from campaign finance (cutting off their support for corporate politicians like the incumbent), overturning Citizens United, increasing the transparency of political donations, delivering Democracy Dollars (Vouchers) and Matching Funds, and instituting Ranked Choice Voting; through these reforms, we can hold our elected officials directly accountable to the people, rather than any corporate interest. Furthermore, centering the people’s interests above all else ensures that our leaders co-govern, rather than merely follow the established party order.

Pass a Green New Deal, and move to clean, renewable energy, eliminating carbon emissions by 2030.

Abolish ICE and grant immediate temporary, permanent status to our undocumented through a fast track to U.S. Citizenship program, while also passing immediate relief now (i.e., eliminating 1-year asylum filing requirement for C08 based work permits; etc.).

Establish a Department of Peace to focus our foreign policy efforts and funds towards peacemaking, rather than fueling the military industrial complex.

Reappropriate funds from military, prison, and police systems towards community resources and first responder

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

David Kim (D)

Those who I'd like to emulate are Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Theresa.

I admire Martin Luther King Jr. and respect his unwavering and outspoken commitment to the fight for equality and justice of all peoples. I look up to Mother Theresa for her unconditional love and compassion that she generously shared with all.

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

David Kim (D)

Stephanie Kelton's Modern Monetary Theory, Marianne Williamson's Politics of Love, Andrew Yang's The War On Normal People, Annie Lowry's Give People Money, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Where Do We Go From Here?

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

David Kim (D)

Accountability: A leader must be trustworthy and follow through on the promises they make.

Compassion: Without compassion, there's no way an elected official can be grounded in fighting for constituents and the people. An elected official must have deep compassion to recognize and legislate on the problems and issues affecting our people, communities and country.

Passion: Without passion, showing up for your community day in and day out will take a toll. A leader must truly care about those they represent. They must not be afraid to fight for the people at all costs and must not give up or lose focus.

Communication: Not only does a good leader have to understand the needs of their community, but they also have to translate those needs into policy, and advocate effectively for that policy. I make myself available to any constituent who wants to meet with me over video conferencing to discuss their needs, interests and concerns. I will take the lessons I learn from voters with me to Washington.

Integrity: The integrity of an elected official is key to having a representative who will stand for constituents and the people, even when no one else is looking.

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

David Kim (D)

My vision, heart, life experiences, community legal advocacy training/experience, and integrity make me the most qualified candidate to serve as a representative for the people of CA-34.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

David Kim (D)

The core responsibilities for someone elected to this office are to: (1) vow not to accept any corporate money because doing so taints one's ability to act in the interests of the people; (2) be deeply aware that every decision that is made is a moral one, affecting the lives of millions of Americans which should not be taken lightly—even an abstention; (3) always follow through on promises made; (4) be an effective, communicative leader who doesn't waver; (5) be deeply aware and realize that not one soul is lesser than another in any way; and (6) communicate with and co-govern with the people through responsive representation, regular town halls, office hours, and a congressional district council made up of constituents and community leaders.

What legacy would you like to leave?

David Kim (D)

I would like to inspire Americans to continue the fight for positive change. I want to see a generation of leaders who really work for the people, and not for corporate interests, power or short term maximization of profits. I want to leave a legacy where ALL truly have the opportunity to thrive and have a floor to stand on.

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

David Kim (D)

I remember in 1st grade writing pen pal letters to U.S. soldiers who were fighting in the Gulf War. Although I was happy that we were giving hope and encouraging these soldiers to press on, I couldn’t understand why our country was fighting in another country and why people had to die. This upset me so much that it helped to shape and inform my political views for life.

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

David Kim (D)

My very first job out of law school was working as a post-bar certified law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in the Public Integrity division, where I provided support in the case against Robert Rizzo, the former City Manager of Bell, California, who had embezzled government money into his personal funds and relations. I worked there for several months before becoming a litigator at a boutique firm in Pasadena. Then I went to work in entertainment and finally found my passion in immigration and juvenile dependency law. Because my first job involved fighting public corruption, I am not surprised that my career led me on a journey to fight injustices on behalf of those who need it most. (My very first job as a kid, was delivering newspapers!)

What is your favorite book? Why?

David Kim (D)

Dr. Joe Dispenza's Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, because it is helpful, empowering, and accurate in demonstrating how we have been conditioned and wired into being restrictive and weak versions of our truly powerful selves. I absolutely recommend to anyone who's into or open to some self-development and life coaching.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

David Kim (D)

Superman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

David Kim (D)

Todrick Hall - Nails, Hair, Hip, Heels

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

David Kim (D)

My own personal struggles involve reconciling my relationship and communication with my parents as I came out of the closet to them in February 2018. As they don't accept, it's been rough since. But we all trust that everything will work out and that we can happily coexist and love each other as family, despite our differences.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

David Kim (D)

The House was meant to be one where individuals of all background, occupations, class, race, geography, gender, orientation and experiences run for and are elected to office, as the congressional districts and scope of constituents were designed to be smaller than those of States that U.S. Senators are elected to represent. As such, the principle and value of co-governance with constituents is something that we should see more in our U.S. Representatives, but we don't. They merely hold infrequent, limited virtual telephone town halls once or twice a year. This is unacceptable. It is easier for U.S. Representatives to know and meet each of their constituents, an essential step toward understanding their constituents' concerns. That’s why community forums like town halls are so important. Every district faces its own unique concerns and challenges. Our representatives need to be open and available to the individuals in their districts to hear those concerns and to elevate them on a national scale.

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

David Kim (D)

It's beneficial but it's not a requirement at all. Politics is like The Bachelor—you need to be in it for the right reasons, and multiple years of experience does not necessarily mean you’re good at it or that you care about the people you represent. Our career politicians are the ones who have gotten us into the mess brought on by 30 years of wage stagnation, increasing income disparity, overwhelming student debt, housing crisis and more. Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. To expect our career politicians to do better is insanity. We need representation that is directly of, by, and for the people, with no allegiance to any corporation, bank, healthcare company, pharmaceutical company, or real estate firm.

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

David Kim (D)

Fighting climate change will be our greatest challenge as a nation and as a species. We only have a decade left to act and implement transformative policies, or else we risk global consequences from land loss and mass displacement to extreme, deadly weather patterns. Additionally, other formidable challenges we face include rising income inequality, financial poverty, houselessness, and corporate control over politics. It is vital to recognize that these issues are part of one interconnected complex- corporate influence has devastated the living conditions of the middle class over the past 40 years, and has prevented us from taking the action necessary to respond to threats like climate change (despite being the primary cause of such crises).

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

David Kim (D)

Too often in politics today, complex debates are reduced to simplistic soundbites. There's nuance to this issue. The House of Representatives ought to be responsive to the people's concerns, and two-year terms accomplish just that. But short terms also prevent representatives from governing to their full potential—they're stuck in a constant frenzy of fundraising and campaigning, always seeking reelection. Longer terms would allow more time for governing.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

David Kim (D)

We ought to establish term limits for U.S. Representatives. Representatives who serve for decades undermine the responsive, democratic nature of the House.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

David Kim (D)

To some degree, Representatives Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Dean Phillips.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

David Kim (D)

There was a family in my apartment building with four children. The father left for work at 8 p.m, and returned the next morning at 7 a.m. The mother left around 8 a.m. and came home at 7 p.m every single day. The children rarely got to spend time with both of their parents at once, and the parents never had a day off. This is not the America that any of us envisioned in the 21st century. Working conditions, wages, and hours worked must be more than livable. People are more valuable than their economic output. That is why I am running for Congress.

Tell us your favorite joke.

David Kim (D)

What did the bus driver say when an NSYNC fan dropped his rice on the ground before getting on? "Dirty Bap!" ("Bap" means rice in Korean. NSYNC has the song, "Dirty Pop" ^^)

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

David Kim (D)

Compromise may be necessary, depending on the situation as sometimes, it may be about picking and choosing our battles, for a more unified and effective outcome.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

David Kim (D)

LAUSD President and Board Member Jackie Goldberg, LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia, CA Democratic Party Progressive Caucus Chair Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony, Los Angeles City Council District 14 Candidate Ysabel Jurado, Rafael Návar (Co-Founder, Mijente; CA State Director for Bernie Sanders 2020), Feel The Bern Democratic Club – Los Angeles, and Our Revolution Los Angeles County

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Jimmy Gomez	Democratic Party	$2,245,653	$2,712,396	$88,759	As of December 31, 2024
David Ferrell	Democratic Party	$9,078	$9,078	$0	As of March 20, 2024
David Kim	Democratic Party	$570,468	$553,270	$17,198	As of December 31, 2024
Calvin Lee	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Aaron Reveles	Peace and Freedom Party	$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.

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 34th Congressional District election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic
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

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	12/8/2023	Source

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.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

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+32. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 32 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 34th the 14th most Democratic district nationally.

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 34th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
81.0%	16.7%

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. The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
83.1	16.4	D+66.7

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	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	Gavin Newsom
Lieutenant Governor	Eleni Kounalakis
Secretary of State	Shirley Weber
Attorney General	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

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2018.

2022

See also: California's 34th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez defeated David Kim in the general election for U.S. House California District 34 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	51.2	62,244
		David Kim (D)	48.8	59,223

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 121,467
= 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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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez and David Kim defeated Clifton Rio Torrado VonBuck in the primary for U.S. House California District 34 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	50.7	45,376
✔		David Kim (D)	39.0	34,921
	Submit photo	Clifton Rio Torrado VonBuck (R)	10.2	9,150

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 89,447
= 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.

2020

See also: California's 34th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez defeated David Kim in the general election for U.S. House California District 34 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	53.0	108,792
		David Kim (D)	47.0	96,554

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 205,346
= 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 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez and David Kim defeated Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla, Joanne Wright, and Keanakay Scott in the primary for U.S. House California District 34 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	52.0	57,066
✔		David Kim (D)	21.0	23,055
		Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla (D)	13.6	14,961
		Joanne Wright (R)	7.7	8,482
		Keanakay Scott (D)	5.6	6,089

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 109,653
= 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

• Shannel Pittman (G)
• Vanessa Aramayo (D)

2018

See also: California's 34th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez defeated Kenneth Mejia in the general election for U.S. House California District 34 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	72.5	110,195
		Kenneth Mejia (G)	27.5	41,711

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 151,906
= 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 34

Incumbent Jimmy Gomez and Kenneth Mejia defeated Angela McArdle in the primary for U.S. House California District 34 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Gomez (D)	78.7	54,661
✔		Kenneth Mejia (G)	12.9	8,987
		Angela McArdle (L)	8.4	5,804

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 69,452
= 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

• Simon Alvarez (R)

See also

California	2024 primaries	2024 U.S. Congress elections
California congressional delegation Voting in California California elections: 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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