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California's 50th Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 top-two primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Oct. 8 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Five-time incumbent Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) advanced to the general election alongside small business owner Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) in California's 50th Congressional District's top-two primary election. Hunter faced well-financed primary challenges from both parties.[1]
In his previous three open primaries, Hunter won more than 50 percent of the vote. Allegations of campaign finance and personal misconduct against Hunter led to Republican challengers, but he raised more than any other Republican through the first quarter of 2018.[2]
Campa-Najjar and former Navy SEAL Josh Butner (D) challenged Hunter from the left. Campa-Najjar led all candidates in fundraising, including Hunter and his $671,000 in contributions, with $725,000. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America jointly endorsed Campa-Najjar in May 2018, joining the Democratic Party of California. At its state convention, 97 percent of delegates backed Campa-Najjar.[3][4]
Butner gained support from national figures, including the PACs of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.). Commenting on the race, California political consultant Shawn VanDiver said, "I think Josh is playing the D.C. game and Ammar is on the ground game, organizing locally."[5]
Two Republican challengers—small business owner Shamus Sayed and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells—also filed for the race.
What is California's top-two primary?
A top-two primary is a type of primary election in which all candidates are listed on the same primary ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to the general election.
California adopted the top-two primary when California Proposition 14, Top-Two Primaries Amendment, passed on June 8, 2010. The system took effect on January 1, 2011.
Washington was the first state to adopt the top-two primary for congressional and state-level elections in 2004. Nebraska also uses a top-two primary for state legislative elections, which are nonpartisan.| California voter? Here's what you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Primary election | June 5, 2018 |
| Candidate filing deadline | March 9, 2018 |
| Registration deadline | May 21, 2018[6] |
| Absentee application deadline | May 29, 2018[6] |
| General election | November 6, 2018 |
| Voting information | |
| Primary type | Top-two |
| Early voting deadline | Available from May 7, 2018, to June 5, 2018[7] |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- California's 50th Congressional District election, 2018
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Primary elections in California, 2018
Candidates and election results
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 50 on June 5, 2018.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 50
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Duncan Hunter (R) | 47.4 | 69,563 |
| ✔ |  | Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) | 17.6 | 25,799 |
 | Bill Wells (R) | 12.9 | 18,951 | |
 | Josh Butner (D) | 12.9 | 18,944 | |
 | Patrick Malloy (D) | 5.9 | 8,607 | |
 | Shamus Sayed (R) | 2.1 | 3,079 | |
Richard Kahle (Independent)  | 1.2 | 1,714 | ||
| Total votes: 146,657 | |||
| = 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
- Pierre Beauregard (D)
- Andrew Zelt (R)
- Glenn Jensen (D)
- Gloria Chadwick (D)
- Alex Spilger (D)
Election updates
- May 16, 2018: Equality California endorsed Campa-Najjar. The organization's executive director, Rick Zbur, said, “He’s boldly challenged Trump and Congressman Hunter on banning transgender people in the military and his strong commitment to equality makes him the best candidate in the fight to represent the 50th Congressional District.”[8]
Top candidates
The candidates below have either led in polls, received support from U.S. elected officials, or been mentioned by media coverage as top contenders. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Duncan Hunter (R)
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Hunter enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in two combat tours in Iraq. He was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 2008, serving on the Armed Services Committee, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and Education and the Workforce Committee.[9]
Hunter said of his re-election effort, "I am consistent and unapologetic in my support of rebuilding the military, protecting the border, cutting taxes, investing in small business growth, eliminating wasteful government bureaucracy, defending life, the Second Amendment and benefits for our nation’s veterans and I will continue my efforts in all these important areas."[10]
He identified rebuilding the military and national security as his top domestic and international policy priorities.[10]
Josh Butner (D)
Butner served in the United States Navy for 23 years, including combat missions deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. His other work experience includes owning a ranch and serving as a Trustee on the Jamul Dulzura School Board.[11]
Butner said of his drive to run for office, "I still feel this intense need to serve and give back to my country. Throughout my entire life, my country has given me so much that I cannot possibly give back enough."[12]
On his campaign website, Butner identified national security, job growth, and healthcare as some of his policy priorities.[13]
Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)
Campa-Najjar worked as a deputy regional field director for Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign before joining the Obama administration as a White House official. He also worked for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as a communications and marketing director and for the U.S. Department of Labor as a public affairs officer.[14]
"It’s time to get on with the people’s business. There are 6 million job vacancies in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, finance, IT, clean energy and other sectors. I have the experience needed to bring these jobs home," Campa-Najjar said of his candidacy.[14]
He identified job growth, support for Medicare for All, and environmental protection as some of his policy priorities on his campaign website.[15]
Candidates
General election candidates
- Duncan Hunter (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Ammar Campa-Najjar (Democratic Party)
Primary candidates
- Duncan Hunter (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Josh Butner (Democratic Party)
- Ammar Campa-Najjar (Democratic Party) ✔
- Richard Kahle (Independent)
- Patrick Malloy (Democratic Party)
- Shamus Sayed (Republican Party)
- Bill Wells (Republican Party)
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Campaign themes and policy stances
Misconduct allegations against Hunter
Hunter and his family have been under federal investigation for possible improper use of campaign funds, according to a report by Rachael Bade and John Bresnahan in Politico in February 2018. He also allegedly attended official meetings while intoxicated and engaged in romantic relationships with women other than his wife.[16]
Hunter declined to comment on the use of campaign funds by his wife, Margaret, but disputed the allegations about his own conduct. He denied attending meetings while under the influence and described the allegations of extramarital relationships as "tabloid trash." Of the allegation that he used campaign funds improperly, he said, "Nah, I know the rules. And if I did [use campaign funds improperly], it was an accident and I paid it back."[16]
Military service as a prerequisite for elected office
In an interview in March 2018, Hunter said that military service should be a prerequisite for elected office. "When you look at anybody for any political office you should look at their past experiences. I served for 23 years. It shows dedication and you’ve been exposed to foreign policy at the tip of the spear. I learned a lot about cultures, in conflict and cooperation. It should be a requirement to have served to even run," he said.[17]
Democratic rival Campa-Najjar responded with statements from veterans. One Navy veteran said, "Civilian control of our military is why we aren’t a country with coups. This was short sighted and terrible. We need folks from all walks to serve in public office."[17]
Campaign themes
These were the policy positions stated in interviews or listed on the candidates' websites, if available.
Duncan Hunter
| “ |
Why should voters choose you over your opponents in this election? I have a consistent conservative voting record that spans almost a decade which voters can utilize to determine for themselves if I share their values. I have one of the highest percentages of successfully passing legislation compared to my other California colleagues and my office has a strong reputation of providing constituent services with federal agencies, particularly with veterans and active-duty military personnel. I am consistent and unapologetic in my support of rebuilding the military, protecting the border, cutting taxes, investing in small business growth, eliminating wasteful government bureaucracy, defending life, the Second Amendment and benefits for our nation’s veterans and I will continue my efforts in all these important areas. What will be your top domestic and international priority in Congress? Rebuilding our military and providing for America’s national security is my No. 1 priority in both domestic and international policy. Without a strong national defense, we have no Social Security, no infrastructure, no education programs and no job creation in the manufacturing base. While these issues are all important, it is imperative that we have a military with the resources and assets to protect the homeland and provide for the security of the American people. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, I will continue working to provide our men and women in uniform with the resources to meet their responsibilities and ensure America’s military capacity so that other domestic priorities can be addressed.[18] |
” |
| —Duncan Hunter for Congress[19] | ||
Josh Butner
| “ |
National Security Our nation's security is one of the primary responsibilities of the Federal government as charged by the Constitution. I believe we must use every tool at our disposal: diplomatic, intelligence, military, and economic to fully protect our nation. We must be proactive and engaged in the world to help shape its future – and more importantly, to lead it. The United States has the world’s most potent and capable military fighting force – something I experienced firsthand as a 23 year veteran of the United States Navy and the SEAL Teams. But two decades into two wars in the Middle East that have ballooned the deficit and taken thousands of American lives have taught us that we must be as committed to peace as we are ready for war. That means fully funding the State Department and international development programs like USAID, while maintaining a robust intelligence agency to monitor and help thwart attacks on our nation. Using the same fundamental principle of addressing threats in a proactive manner, we must address climate change for the threat to our national security that it presents. I fully support the growing bipartisan majority consensus in the House and Senate that have declared climate change a "direct threat to the national security of the United States." It would be a dereliction of duty not to do everything within the power of the federal government to address this threat in the most comprehensive, cost effective manner possible. Jobs As a 23 year veteran of the armed services, I fought every single day to protect the quality of life for all Americans. In Washington, I will reach across the aisle and create effective legislation in a bipartisan manner in order to protect our businesses and build jobs. This means eliminating bureaucracy and red tape so our local businesses can grow and bringing good-paying jobs to East County San Diego. That means fighting to eliminate giveaways and insider deals for big corporations and billionaires, and cutting taxes for small businesses, seniors, and the middle class instead. Healthcare Health care is a right, not a privilege. Make no mistake: our healthcare system isn’t perfect. Skyrocketing premiums are putting middle-class families at risk even as pharmaceutical companies score record profits. But those in Washington with their wealthy lobbyist friends that want to tear the whole system down, eliminating healthcare for tens of millions of Americans while the 1% pockets the savings, have it dead wrong. Instead of repealing Obamacare with no solution in sight, what we need right now is reform. We can fix the problems in the Affordable Care Act and put American families first, not the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. We can take ideas from Democrats and Republicans to create a system that works better for everyone, like increasing competition to lower premiums and allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. Education If we want to build the economy of the future, we must invest in our children’s education. Serving on the Jamul Dulzura Board of Trustees, I’ve fought to ensure that every child, no matter their zip code or background, has access to a quality education that will prepare them to be productive members of our society. This starts at the local level, where our public schools are chronically underfunded and under attack. Despite California being the wealthiest state in our country, in 2016 we ranked 42nd in funding our public education system per student. This is unacceptable. In a fast-changing world where the ability to code, build a cleaner, safer planet, or discover next-generation cures grows in importance with each passing day, it is simply unacceptable for us to leave our students behind in a competitive global economy and allow countries like China to take the lead. I will take the fight to Washington in order to be the fierce advocate our community needs for quality education for our children. Government Transparency Unaccountable money from special interests has corrupted our politics. We need to overturn Citizens United and work with both parties to ban donations from lobbyists and ensure that everyday Americans are being heard in the halls of Congress, not just the wealthy and powerful. Elected officials should hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical behavior. In Congress, like now, I pledge to uphold the values of honor, courage, and commitment. I will always put Country over party, personal profit, and special interest politics.[18] |
” |
| —Josh Butner for Congress[20] | ||
Ammar Campa-Najjar
| “ |
JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS Among District 50’s top challenges are economic growth and income inequality. Instead of excessive government spending on corporate subsidies and tax cuts that aren’t reinvested in American workers, Congress should invest in millions of American workers to help working families punch their ticket to the middle class. The unemployment rate of CA50 is 8 percent, over double the rate of San Diego county. 1 in 3 children in El Cajon are in poverty, and over 6,000 children go to bed hungry each night. I’ve seen firsthand how lives and families are hurt when we put special interests ahead of the American worker. I know that our rural and suburban communities need a seat at the table when it comes to new workforce programs. As congressman, I will be your voice. I will do everything I can to bring quality job opportunities to California’s 50th. DEFEND THE AMERICAN DREAM From fair wages to security, the fate of America's citizens and aspiring citizens are inextricably bound. Like all our communities, immigrants and refugees are overwhelmingly good-natured and well-intentioned people. And like all communities, they share our security concerns. In fact, as people fleeing persecution and crime in their countries of origin, refugees and immigrants come to the United States seeking security. That is why securing our country is important for both citizens and aspiring citizens. As the son of an immigrant parent, I will always fight for the right of good people to experience the American dream. I will recognize the balance we need to strike between securing our borders and welcoming the huddled masses who yearn to breathe free. And I will support sensible immigration reform that lifts rather than depresses wages, protects all communities and creates a viable pathway to citizenship, rather than forcing people to permanently live in the shadows of the law. UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE Regardless of whether you're Republican, Independent, or Democrat: I don’t care about your personal politics, I care about your personal health. I once asked a single mother from my district what keeps her up at night. Her answer: “I’m an illness away from losing my home.” Nobody should ever have to choose between paying their mortgage and their medical bills. Your healthcare will be a top priority for me in Congress. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Call me biased, but from Jamul to Temecula, CA50 has some of the most beautiful environmental landscapes the world over. A friend of mine put it best: "Now more than ever, it is important that we protect our natural habitats from desecration and pollution. Keeping our forests, drinking water, and skies pure is of vital importance. There is something entirely pristine about nature. When surrounded by wilderness, there is something especially pure and cleansing about the air you breathe and the sights you see." Preserving that purity is important. This is not just because our environment is sacred, but also because pollution in our environment inevitably contaminates us and our bodies. When we drink polluted water, live near toxic sites, or inhale dirty, smog-filled air we contaminate our bodies with chemical impurities and pathogens. Air pollution in many cities makes the once crisp, pure blue sky a foul gray. Chemical particles end up everywhere - in our food, on our skin, and inside our lungs. Dirty, polluted air enters our bodies and becomes a part of us. When we do not recycle, it leads to mountains of trash, reeking across our natural landscapes. Billions of tons of garbage have to be put into landfills; many of which possess toxic chemicals which seep into our water supply, making even filtered water contaminated. Deforestation turns once pristine wilderness into barren, depleted fields. We can take action now to protect our environment so that it is pure once again. Recycling, choosing to use energy efficient appliances and improving our public transportation can make a big difference. Reducing pollution can help us preserve what is pure and beautiful about the places we live. It should be everyone's goal to cleanse the environment, so our children and our children's children can experience the uncontaminated purity and value of nature. ELECTION REFORM “Self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity and liberty, but from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken... to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth” — George Washington’s farewell address. Our country faces many threats. But the gravest danger to our democracy is when we, citizens, take our vote for granted. Our voices must be heard and votes must be counted. "The overflow of big money in politics drowns out the voices of everyday people. That is part of the conundrum in America: The more money you have the more speech you have. That leaves everyday people out of the equation” — Nina Turner “It's an issue that Democrats and Republicans seem to come together on, the over-influence of money in politics and in power.” — Andrew Gillum It’s time to get money out of politics and overturn Citizens United. From getting big money out of politics to the way we conduct elections, we have a system that gives inordinate influence to insiders, major corporations, and the politically connected. But that's not how democracy is supposed to work. I will fight for reforms that put people first. We need to ask ourselves whether the Democratic Party should put the interests of superdelegates above those of the American voter. We need to explore ways to eliminate the influence of Super PACs on both sides of the aisle, whether through a constitutional amendment or by preventing out-of-district special interests from overwhelming our local election. And we should be discussing issues like term limits, so that we have more representatives and fewer career politicians. We have a great nation. We need to protect it. And that starts with the people. That's why I will advocate for reforms that help raise the voices of each and every American citizen. GUN SAFETY “I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses” — Karl T. Frederick, President of the NRA (1939). First, there’s nothing wrong with owning a gun for personal safety or sport; what's wrong is having it fall into the wrong hands. We need to have an honest conversation, we owe it to the children who’ve been taken from us. We need to de-politicize the issue, and focus on common sense, common values and the common good. We owe it to those children. What I've learned from Veterans For Ammar CA 50 is that, contrary to common belief, the military is surprisingly progressive when it comes to universal healthcare (TRICARE), equal pay based on rank, and gun safety (background checks, extensive training, mental aptitude tests, safety protocol). Why not make these proven military approaches to healthcare, equal pay, AND thorough background checks universal for all? The military model has proven that we can protect people and the Second Amendment at the same time. Don't let fear-mongering, lying lobbyists tell you otherwise. If you’re pro-life, then consider the lives we could have and could still save by doing the following. Here are just some common sense, common values based solutions to combating gun violence: ✅ Lifting the NRA’s CDC ban on research around gun fatalities. If independent research shows that banning certain guns would prevent fatalities and serve the common good, then we should take urgent action. ✅ Addressing the mental health issues that could have prevented many of these tragedies. If reports on mental health problems received the same scrutiny as people who are felons, fugitives, and stalkers, we could have prevented many school shootings. ✅ Banning gun sales to those on the no-fly list. ✅ Banning bump-fire stock and conversion kits. ✅ The NRA used to support background checks in response to the Black Panthers. We should have mandatory universal background checks, including for guns sold on the internet, and transactions between private individuals. More history: The NRA assisted Roosevelt in drafting the 1934 National Firearms Act and the 1938 Gun Control Act, the first federal gun control laws. These laws placed heavy taxes and regulation requirements on firearms that were associated with crime, such as machine guns, sawed-off shotguns and silencers. Gun sellers and owners were required to register with the federal government and felons were banned from owning weapons. Not only was the legislation unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court in 1939, but Karl T. Frederick, the president of the NRA, testified before Congress stating, “I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses.” Shocking, right? ✅ In 2015, a bipartisan bill was passed into law to increase mental health screening for new military recruits. The military has better background checks, mental health and training requirements for recruits than we do for civilian gun owners. Congress needs to extend more of those kinds of measures to every gun purchaser. We need to learn from our military, and propose training and qualification for civilians before they’re given a gun. Train and qualify civilian gun owners, through mandatory weapons safety courses and tactical range qualifications from certified organizations. The purchase and sale of ammunition and reload materials must require proof of classroom training and range qualification. ❌ Oppose rolling back restrictions and fees on silencers. ❌ Oppose the rollback of the previous administration’s directive allowing designated mental health providers to report names of mentally ill patients to the federal background check system. EDUCATION Education was an empowering and challenging experience growing up. I'm a proud product of a good public education from San Diego State University where I earned two degrees. But my early childhood education was far from ideal, in fact it was a nightmare at times. Like many of us, I was born in San Diego to a working class family and missed out on preschool. I really struggled as a student during my childhood, but my family couldn't identify exactly why. Growing up in a multi-faith family, I attended both Catholic and Islamic schools as a child. It was an enriching and disorienting experience, one that would later serve me as an adult to deepen my faith while respecting the history and contributions of other faiths. I attended four years of Catholic school in Gaza, a war torn part of the world where classrooms became bomb shelters and electricity, water, and sometimes food was cut off. I consider myself one of the lucky ones; I was able to leave and live a full life in America. Even still the experience left me with a feeling of survivor's guilt. To this day I am haunted by the sense of responsibility to live for two: for myself, and for my Palestinian and Israeli peers whose time came to soon. I came back to a relatively stable and normal life in San Diego for high school, and yet I still struggled. I remembered intentionally sitting at the back of my English class, looking at the clock and praying that the bell would ring before Mr. Olson called me to read the next paragraph from the Grapes of Wrath. I was a terribly slow reader, couldn't make out words, and didn't know why. It was humiliating. I had my theories: Maybe it was PTS, or all those years of having to read in English left to right and Arabic right to left got my wires mixed. This challenge, my struggle with learning had nothing to do with my external environment but an internal process. I have dyslexia. This struggle led me on a unique educational journey, one of self-pace, self-discovery and accomplishment. I believe education truly is the greatest equalizer and should be a lifelong pursuit. That's why as congressman, I will work tirelessly to ensure every student in California's 50th and beyond has a world class education within reach.[18] |
” |
| —Campa Campaign[21] | ||
Campaign tactics and strategies
Campaign advertisements
Josh Butner
|
Campaign finance
This section includes campaign finance information for candidates who have raised $100,000 or more through the first quarter of 2018.
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: California's 50th Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia tracks endorsements by organizations and elected officials. As of March 23, 2018, we have located the following endorsements in this race. To notify us of other endorsements, please email us.
| Primary election endorsements | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Butner[22]
|
Campa-Najjar[23]
|
Hunter[24]
|
Wells[25]
|
| Federal officials | ||||
| Adriano Espaillat, U.S. representative | ✔ | |||
| Luis Gutierrez, U.S. representative | ✔ | |||
| Darrell Issa, U.S. representative | ✔ | |||
| Joe Sestak, former U.S. representative | ✔ | |||
| State figures | ||||
| Betty Yee, California state controller | ✔ | |||
| Joel Anderson, California state senator | ✔ | |||
| Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher, California state assemblywoman | ✔ | |||
| Shirley Weber, California state assemblywoman | ✔ | |||
| Local figures | ||||
| Dianne Jacob, San Diego County supervisor | ✔ | |||
| Richard Bailey, Coronado mayor | ✔ | |||
| Gary Kendrick, El Cajon mayor pro tem | ✔ | |||
| Mark West, Imperial Beach mayor pro tempore | ✔ | |||
| Kristine Alessio, La Mesa vice mayor | ✔ | |||
| Jerry Jones, Lemon Grove mayor pro tem | ✔ | |||
| Steve Vaus, Poway mayor | ✔ | |||
| John Mullin, Poway deputy mayor | ✔ | |||
| Cori Schumacher, Carlsbad city councilwoman | ✔ | |||
| Steve Goble, El Cajon city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Bob McClellan, El Cajon city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Olga Diaz, Escondido city councilwoman | ✔ | |||
| Bill Baber, La Mesa city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Colin Parent, La Mesa city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Dave Grosch, Poway city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Barry Leonard, Poway city councilman | ✔ | |||
| David Alvarez, San Diego city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Ronn Hall, Santee city councilman | ✔ | |||
| Karen Clark-Mejia, Cajon Valley Union School District board member | ✔ | |||
| Esther Valdes, Coronado Unified School District board member | ✔ | |||
| Jim Kelly, Grossmont Union High School District board member | ✔ | |||
| Robert Shield, Grossmont Union High School District board member | ✔ | |||
| Gary Woods, Grossmont Union High School District board member | ✔ | |||
| David Chong, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District board member | ✔ | |||
| Pete Jenkins, San Diego County Lakeside Water District board member | ✔ | |||
| Steve Johnson, San Diego County Lakeside Water District board member | ✔ | |||
| Organizations | ||||
| California College Democrats | ✔ | |||
| California Democratic Party | ✔ | |||
| California Republican Party[26] | ✔ | |||
| California Young Democrats | ✔ | |||
| Communications Workers of America | ✔ | |||
| Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC[27] | ✔ | |||
| Democratic Woman's Club of San Diego County | ✔ | |||
| Democrats of Southwest Riverside County | ✔ | |||
| Escondido Democratic Club | ✔ | |||
| Fallbrook Democratic Club | ✔ | |||
| Flip the 50th | ✔ | |||
| Indivisible CA 50 | ✔ | |||
| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 569 | ✔ | |||
| Justice Democrats | ✔ | |||
| La Mesa - Foothills Democratic Club | ✔ | |||
| Murrieta-Temecula Republican Assembly | ✔ | |||
| National Nurses United | ✔ | |||
| North County Latino Democrats | ✔ | |||
| Palomar College Democrats | ✔ | |||
| Riverside County Young Democrats | ✔ | |||
| Riverside Republican Party | ✔ | |||
| San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action | ✔ | |||
| San Diego County Young Democrats | ✔ | |||
| San Diego Democrats for Equality | ✔ | |||
| San Diego Progressive Democratic Club | ✔ | |||
| San Diego Republican Party | ✔ | |||
| SEIU California | ✔ | |||
| United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters &HVAC/R Local 230 | ✔ | |||
| VoteVets.org[28] | ✔ | |||
| Working Families | ✔ | |||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+11, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made California's 50th Congressional District the 118th most Republican nationally.[29]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.93. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.93 points toward that party.[30]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in California heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in California.
- Democrats held 39 of 53 U.S. House seats in California.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Democrats held seven of 10 state executive positions and the remaining three positions were officially nonpartisan.
- The governor of California was Democrat Jerry Brown.
State legislature
- Democrats controlled both chambers of the California State Legislature. They had a 55-25 majority in the state Assembly and a 27-13 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- California was a state government trifecta, meaning that Democrats held the governorship and majorities in the state house and state senate.
2018 elections
- See also: California elections, 2018
California held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- 1 Senate seat
- 53 U.S. House seats
- Governor
- Seven other state executive positions
- 20 of 40 state Senate seats
- 80 state Assembly seats
- Two state Supreme Court justices
- 35 state Court of Appeals judges
- Local trial court judges
- School board members
Demographics
| Demographic data for California | ||
|---|---|---|
| California | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 38,993,940 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 155,779 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 61.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 5.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 13.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.4% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,818 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2016, California had a population of approximately 39,000,000 people, with its three largest cities being Los Angeles (pop. est. 4.0 million), San Diego (pop. est. 1.4 million), and San Jose (pop. est. 1 million).[31][32]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in California from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the California Secretary of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in California every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), California 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton |
61.7% | Donald Trump |
31.6% | 30.1% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
60.2% | Mitt Romney |
37.1% | 23.1% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
61.1% | John McCain |
37% | 24.1% |
| 2004 | John Kerry |
54.4% | George W. Bush |
44.4% | 10% |
| 2000 | Al Gore |
53.5% | George W. Bush |
41.7% | 11.8% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in California from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), California 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Kamala Harris |
61.6% | Loretta Sanchez |
38.4% | 23.2% |
| 2012 | Dianne Feinstein |
62.5% | Elizabeth Emken |
37.5% | 25% |
| 2010 | Barbara Boxer |
52.2% | Carly Fiorina |
42.2% | 10% |
| 2006 | Dianne Feinstein |
59.5% | Richard Mountjoy |
35.1% | 24.4% |
| 2004 | Barbara Boxer |
57.8% | Bill Jones |
37.8% | 20% |
| 2000 | Dianne Feinstein |
55.9% | Tom Campbell |
36.6% | 19.3% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in California.
| Election results (Governor), California 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Jerry Brown |
60% | Neel Kashkari |
40% | 20% |
| 2010 | Jerry Brown |
53.8% | Meg Whitman |
40.9% | 12.9% |
| 2006 | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
55.9% | Phil Angelides |
39.0% | 16.9% |
| 2002 | Gray Davis |
47.3% | Bill Simon |
42.4% | 4.9% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent California in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, California 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 39 |
73.5% | 14 |
26.4% | D+25 |
| 2014 | 39 |
73.5% | 14 |
26.4% | D+25 |
| 2012 | 38 |
71.7% | 15 |
28.3% | D+23 |
| 2010 | 34 |
64.1% | 19 |
35.8% | D+15 |
| 2008 | 34 |
64.1% | 19 |
35.8% | D+15 |
| 2006 | 34 |
64.1% | 19 |
35.8% | D+15 |
| 2004 | 33 |
62.3% | 20 |
37.7% | D+13 |
| 2002 | 33 |
62.3% | 20 |
37.7% | D+13 |
| 2000 | 32 |
61.5% | 20 |
38.5% | D+12 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
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 |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
- United States Senate elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "2018 California Election Results," June 7, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans flock to take out scandal-plagued Duncan Hunter," February 27, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Texas pre-primary reports," May 11, 2018
- ↑ East County Magazine, "State Democratic Party Endorses Campa-Najjar And Elia In Key East County Races; Declines To Endorse In Top Statewide Contests," February 27, 2018
- ↑ Roll Call, "With Hunter Floundering, Democrats Eye Flipping Red California Seat," February 15, 2018
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 California Secretary of State, "Election dates and resources," accessed January 31, 2018
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Phone conversation with the California Secretary of State's Office," January 31, 2018
- ↑ Equality California, "Equality California Endorses Congressional Candidates in Four Competitive California Districts," May 16, 2018
- ↑ Hunter for Congress, "About Duncan Hunter," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hunter for Congress, "Rep. Duncan Hunter on the issues in the 50th Congressional District," May 25, 2018
- ↑ Josh Butner for Congress, "About Josh," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Former Navy SEAL the latest Democrat to take on GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter," April 11, 2017
- ↑ Butner for Congress, "Issues," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Campa Campaign, "Meet Ammar," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ Campa Campaign, "Issues," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Politico, "From Fallujah to FBI investigation: The undoing of Duncan Hunter," February 8, 2018
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Times of San Diego, "Candidate’s Suggestion of Military Service as Congressional Qualification Sparks Controversy," March 19, 2018
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Hunter for Congress, "Rep. Duncan Hunter on the issues in the 50th Congressional District," May 25, 2018
- ↑ Josh Butner for Congress, "Issues," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ Campaign Campaign, "Education," accessed May 28, 2018
- ↑ Josh Butner for Congress, "News," accessed March 23, 2018
- ↑ Ammar Campa-Najjar for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 23, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Duncan Hunter for Congress on February 22, 2018," accessed March 5, 2018
- ↑ Mayor Bill Wells for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 23, 2018
- ↑ The San Diego Union-Tribune, "California GOP endorses Hunter for re-election." March 3, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Election Day in Arizona," April 24, 2018
- ↑ VoteVets.org, "Candidates," accessed March 5, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ California Demographics, "California Cities by Population," accessed April 2, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts California," accessed April 2, 2018
