California's 41st Congressional District election, 2016
The 41st Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Mark Takano (D) defeated Doug Shepherd (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Takano and Shepherd defeated Randy Fox (R) and Cody Ryan (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[4][5][6]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[7][8]
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.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Mark Takano (D), who was first elected in 2012.
As of the 2010 redistricting cycle, California's 41st Congressional District was located in the southern portion of the state and included part of northwestern Riverside County.[9]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Mark Takano Incumbent |
65% | 128,164 | |
| Republican | Doug Shepherd | 35% | 69,159 | |
| Total Votes | 197,323 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Mark Takano Incumbent |
64.5% | 63,706 | |
| Republican | Doug Shepherd |
17.5% | 17,255 | |
| Republican | Randy Fox | 15% | 14,844 | |
| Republican | Cody Ryan | 2.9% | 2,893 | |
| Total Votes | 98,698 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates:  Mark Takano   Doug Shepherd |
|
Primary candidates: Mark Takano - Incumbent[4] Doug Shepherd - Businessman[10][4] Randy Fox[4] Cody Ryan[4] |
District history
2014
The 41st Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Mark Takano (D) defeated Steve Adams (R) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Takano Incumbent |
56.6% | 46,948 | |
| Republican | Steve Adams | 43.4% | 35,936 | |
| Total Votes | 82,884 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
According to a Cook Political Report analysis, the 41st District was one of 13 congressional districts in California that was competitive in 2012. The analysis rated it as Leans Democratic.[11] Democrat Mark Takano won election in the district.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Takano |
59% | 103,578 | |
| Republican | John Tavaglione | 41% | 72,074 | |
| Total Votes | 175,652 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: California elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in California in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| February 25, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of signature in lieu of filing fee period for voter-nominated offices | |
| March 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of declaration of candidacy and nomination paper period for voter-nominated offices | |
| April 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| May 26, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| June 7, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Sources: California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed January 11, 2016 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for State Candidate Controlled Committees Listed on the June 7, 2016 Ballot," accessed January 11, 2016 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statement of Vote," June 7, 2016
- ↑ California Legislative Information, "California Constitution, Article II, Section 5," accessed October 29, 2025
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed October 29, 2025
- ↑ California Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ Doug Shepherd for Congress, "Home," accessed January 3, 2016
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "2012 Competitive House Race Chart," accessed July 10, 2012
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
