Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
California's 53rd Congressional District
The 53rd Congressional District of California was a congressional district that was eliminated in the 2020 Census apportionment process. During the 2020 apportionment process, California had one seat in the U.S. House taken due to population changes across the country. The 53rd Congressional District ceased to exist following the 2022 elections.
As of the 2020 Census, California representatives represented an average of 761,091 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 704,566 residents.
Elections
2020
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 53
Sara Jacobs defeated Georgette Gómez in the general election for U.S. House California District 53 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sara Jacobs (D) | 59.5 | 199,244 |
 | Georgette Gómez (D) | 40.5 | 135,614 | |
| Total votes: 334,858 | |||
 = 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 53
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 53 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sara Jacobs (D) | 29.1 | 58,312 |
| ✔ | | Georgette Gómez (D) | 20.0 | 39,962 |
 | Chris Stoddard (R) | 13.0 | 25,962 | |
 | Janessa Goldbeck (D) | 8.5 | 17,041 | |
 | Famela Ramos (R) | 7.5 | 15,005 | |
 | Michael Oristian (R) | 7.4 | 14,807 | |
 | Tom Wong (D) (Unofficially withdrew) | 3.6 | 7,265 | |
 | Annette Meza (D) | 2.2 | 4,446 | |
 | Joseph Fountain (D) | 2.0 | 4,041 | |
 | Jose Caballero (D) | 1.6 | 3,226 | |
 | Joaquín Vázquez (D) | 1.5 | 3,078 | |
 | John Brooks (D) | 1.4 | 2,820 | |
 | Fernando Garcia (Independent) | 0.9 | 1,832 | |
 | Suzette Santori (D) | 0.8 | 1,625 | |
 | Eric Kutner (D) | 0.4 | 734 | |
| Total votes: 200,156 | |||
| = 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
- Devorah Ann Fox (D)
- Zack Fields (D)
- Peter Sharma (D)
- Ashur Gabriel (R)
- Daniel Phillip Ferrara (D)
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 53
Incumbent Susan Davis defeated Morgan Murtaugh in the general election for U.S. House California District 53 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susan Davis (D) | 69.1 | 185,667 |
 | Morgan Murtaugh (R) | 30.9 | 83,127 | |
| Total votes: 268,794 | |||
| = 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 53
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 53 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Davis (D) | 64.1 | 93,051 |
| ✔ | | Morgan Murtaugh (R) | 14.3 | 20,827 |
| Matt Mendoza (R) | 13.6 | 19,710 | ||
 | Shawn Gino Kane (R) | 3.7 | 5,319 | |
| Bryan Kim (Independent) | 2.4 | 3,460 | ||
 | Brett Goda (R) | 2.0 | 2,898 | |
| Total votes: 145,265 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Susan Davis (D) defeated James Veltmeyer (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Davis and Veltmeyer defeated Nicholas Walpert (D) and Jim Ash (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.[1][2]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Susan Davis Incumbent |
67% | 198,988 | |
| Republican | James Veltmeyer | 33% | 97,968 | |
| Total Votes | 296,956 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |
Susan Davis Incumbent |
65.5% | 110,831 | |
| Republican | James Veltmeyer |
15.2% | 25,656 | |
| Republican | Jim Ash | 15% | 25,410 | |
| Democratic | Nicholas Walpert | 4.4% | 7,363 | |
| Total Votes | 169,260 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
2014
The 53rd Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Susan Davis (D) defeated Larry Wilske (R) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Susan Davis Incumbent |
58.8% | 87,104 | |
| Republican | Larry Wilske | 41.2% | 60,940 | |
| Total Votes | 148,044 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 53rd Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Susan Davis won re-election in the district.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Susan Davis Incumbent |
61.4% | 164,825 | |
| Republican | Nick Popaditch | 38.6% | 103,482 | |
| Total Votes | 268,307 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Susan Davis won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Michael Crimmins (R) and Paul Dekker (L) in the general election.[4]
| U.S. House, California District 53 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Susan Davis incumbent |
62.3% | 104,800 | |
| Republican | Michael Crimmins | 34% | 57,230 | |
| Libertarian | Paul Dekker | 3.7% | 6,298 | |
| Total Votes | 168,328 | |||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Susan Davis won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Michael Crimmins (R) and Edward Teyssier (L) in the general election.[5]
| U.S. House, California District 53 General Election, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Susan Davis incumbent |
68.5% | 161,315 | |
| Republican | Michael Crimmins | 27.5% | 64,658 | |
| Libertarian | Edward Teyssier | 4.1% | 9,569 | |
| Total Votes | 235,542 | |||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Susan Davis won re-election to the United States House. She defeated John Woodrum (R) and Ernie Lippe (L) in the general election.[6]
| U.S. House, California District 53 General Election, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Susan Davis incumbent |
67.6% | 97,541 | |
| Republican | John Woodrum | 30% | 43,312 | |
| Libertarian | Ernie Lippe | 2.4% | 3,534 | |
| Total Votes | 144,387 | |||
2004
On November 2, 2004, Susan Davis won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Darin Hunzeker (R), Lawrence Rockwood (G) and Adam Van Susteren (L) in the general election.[7]
| U.S. House, California District 53 General Election, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Susan Davis incumbent |
66.1% | 146,449 | |
| Republican | Darin Hunzeker | 28.9% | 63,897 | |
| Green | Lawrence Rockwood | 3.4% | 7,523 | |
| Libertarian | Adam Van Susteren | 1.6% | 3,567 | |
| Total Votes | 221,436 | |||
2002
On November 5, 2002, Susan Davis won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Bill VanDeWeghe (R) and Jim Dorenkott (Write-in) in the general election.[8]
| U.S. House, California District 53 General Election, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Susan Davis incumbent |
62.2% | 72,252 | |
| Republican | Bill VanDeWeghe | 37.8% | 43,891 | |
| Write-in | Jim Dorenkott | 0% | 37 | |
| Total Votes | 116,180 | |||
District map
Redistricting
2020-2021
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted 14-0 in favor of a new congressional district map on December 20, 2021, and delivered those maps to the secretary of state on December 27, 2021.[9][10] California was apportioned 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, a net loss of one seat compared to apportionment after the 2010 census. This map took effect for California's 2022 congressional elections.
How does redistricting in California work? In California, a non-politician commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. Established in 2008 by ballot initiative, the commission comprises 14 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and four belonging to neither party. A panel of state auditors selects the pool of nominees from which the commissioners are appointed. This pool comprises 20 Democrats, 20 Republicans, and 20 belonging to neither party. The majority and minority leaders of both chambers of the state legislature may each remove two members from each of the aforementioned groups. The first eight commission members are selected at random from the remaining nominees. These first eight comprise three Democrats, three Republicans, and two belonging to neither party. The first eight commissioners appoint the remaining six, which must include two Democrats, two Republicans, and two belonging to neither party.[11]
Commissioners must meet the following requirements in order to serve:[11]
- Members must have voted in at least two of the last three statewide elections.
- Members cannot have switched party affiliation for at least five years.
- "Neither commissioners nor immediate family may have been, within 10 years of appointment, a candidate for federal or state office or member of a party central committee; an officer, employee, or paid consultant to a federal or state candidate or party; a registered lobbyist or paid legislative staff; or a donor of more than $2,000 to an elected candidate."
- Members cannot be "staff, consultants or contractors for state or federal government" while serving as commissioners. The same prohibition applies to the family of commission members.
In order to approve a redistricting plan, nine of the commission's 14 members must vote for it. These nine must include three Democrats, three Republicans, and three belonging to neither party. Maps drawn by the commission may be overturned by public referendum. In the event that a map is overturned by the public, the California Supreme Court must appoint a group to draw a new map.[11]
The California Constitution requires that districts be contiguous. Further, the state constitution mandates that "to the extent possible, [districts] must ... preserve the geographic integrity of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities of interest." Districts must also "encourage compactness." State Senate and Assembly districts should be nested within each other where possible.[11]
California District 53
until January 2, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
2010-2011
In 2011, the California State Legislature re-drew the congressional districts based on updated population information from the 2010 census.
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 D+14, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 14 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 53rd Congressional District the 93rd most Democratic nationally.[12]
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 0.85. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.85 points toward that party.[13]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ Politico, "California’s new congressional map boosts Democrats," Dec. 21, 2021
- ↑ Lake County News, "California Citizens Redistricting Commission delivers maps to California Secretary of State," Dec. 28, 2021
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 All About Redistricting, "California," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ 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
