News and analysis right to your inbox. Click to get Ballotpedia’s newsletters!

California's 40th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
U.S. House • Congressional special elections • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State Assembly • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • All local elections by county • How to run for office
Flag of California.png


← 2024
California's 40th Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Top-two primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 6, 2026
Primary: June 2, 2026
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 Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
California's 40th Congressional District
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th • 27th • 28th • 29th • 30th • 31st • 32nd • 33rd • 34th • 35th • 36th • 37th • 38th • 39th • 40th • 41st • 42nd • 43rd • 44th • 45th • 46th • 47th • 48th • 49th • 50th • 51st • 52nd
California elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A top-two primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in California's 40th Congressional District to determine which two candidates will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 6, 2026
June 2, 2026
November 3, 2026



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 October 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system for some or all statewide primaries. See here for more information.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on California's 40th 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

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

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 40

The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 40 on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Ken Calvert
Ken Calvert (R)
Image of Young Kim
Young Kim (R)
Image of Claude Keissieh
Claude Keissieh (D)
Image of Joe Kerr
Joe Kerr (D)
Image of Eric Peterson
Eric Peterson (D)
Image of Lisa Ramirez
Lisa Ramirez (D)
Image of Paula Swift
Paula Swift (D)  Candidate Connection
Image of Esther Kim Varet
Esther Kim Varet (D)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Maricar Payad (American Independent Party)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Christian Ahmed (No party preference)
Image of Nina Linh
Nina Linh (Independent)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

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

Paula Swift

Image of Paula Swift

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Dr. Paula Swift is a dedicated public servant and a proud wife and mother who has experienced firsthand both the promise and the pitfalls of the American Dream. Now, she is running for Congress in California’s 40th District to be a true representative for the people—someone who listens, understands, and takes action to create a better future for all. Raised with a value system based on hard work, faith, and service, Paula, a native Californian, put herself through school while raising a family. These academic achievements aren’t just credentials—they are the tools she uses daily to solve complex problems, build coalitions, and inspire others to lead with vision and compassion. Paula’s professional career spans two decades across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. As CEO of her consulting firm, she has worked with government agencies, educational institutions, small businesses, and corporate leaders to drive meaningful, measurable change. Her experience has taught her how systems work—and how to fix them when they don’t serve the people they were created for."

Key Messages

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

I will work to build a strong economy that puts working families first, where wages keep up with the cost of living, small businesses can thrive, and no one has to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. That means fighting for good-paying jobs, affordable childcare, fair taxes, and better opportunities for all. Our economy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

because the health of our planet affects all of us. We need cleaner air, safe water, and green spaces for our families and future generations. That means investing in renewable energy, reducing pollution, and protecting natural resources. I’m committed to practical solutions that support healthier communities and a more sustainable future.

I will fight to protect Social Security and Medicare because our seniors deserve the benefits they’ve earned through a lifetime of hard work. These programs ones we must keep. I’ll oppose any effort to cut or privatize them and work to strengthen them for future generations. No one should have to worry about affording healthcare or retirement after spending their lives contributing to our country.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

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

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Ken Calvert Republican Party $4,343,644 $1,188,897 $3,416,882 As of December 31, 2025
Young Kim Republican Party $6,339,771 $2,580,505 $5,496,764 As of December 31, 2025
Claude Keissieh Democratic Party $22,100 $22,090 $15 As of December 31, 2025
Joe Kerr Democratic Party $193,569 $183,780 $9,789 As of December 31, 2025
Eric Peterson Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Lisa Ramirez Democratic Party $268,764 $186,871 $81,893 As of December 31, 2025
Paula Swift Democratic Party $14,546 $14,546 $0 As of December 15, 2025
Esther Kim Varet Democratic Party $2,390,181 $1,228,564 $1,161,617 As of December 31, 2025
Maricar Payad American Independent Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Christian Ahmed No party preference $30 $0 $130 As of June 3, 2025
Nina Linh Independent $226,322 $111,416 $114,906 As of December 31, 2025

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.

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 before and after redistricting ahead of the 2026 election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 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 is the district map used in the 2024 election next to the map in place for the 2026 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.

2024

2023_01_03_ca_congressional_district_040.jpg

2026

2027_01_03_ca_congressional_district_40.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+1. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made California's 40th the 217th most Republican district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in California's 40th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
42.4%54.6%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in California, 2024

California presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 16 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 2024
Winning Party R R R P[4] 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 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 January 2026.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 43 45
Republican 0 8 8
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 1 1
Total 2 52 54

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in California's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in California, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Gavin Newsom
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Eleni Kounalakis
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Shirley Weber
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Rob Bonta

State legislature

California State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 30
     Republican Party 10
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

California State Assembly

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 60
     Republican Party 20
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 80

Trifecta control

California Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty years with 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 25
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 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 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 D

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in California in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
California U.S. House All candidates 40-60 $1,740 3/6/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ California Legislative Information, "California Constitution, Article II, Section 5," accessed October 29, 2025
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed October 29, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  4. ↑ Progressive Party


California's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Alex Padilla (D)
Adam Schiff (D)
Representatives
District 1
Vacant
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 (8)
Vacancies (1)


Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=California%27s_40th_Congressional_District_election,_2026_(June_2_top-two_primary)&oldid=11037320"