California's 8th Congressional District election, 2016
The 8th 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 Republican. Incumbent Paul Cook (R) defeated Rita Ramirez (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Cook and Ramirez defeated Tim Donnelly (R), Roger LaPlante (D), and John Pinkerton (D) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016. The general election took place on November 8, 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 Paul Cook (R), who was first elected in 2012.
As of the 2010 redistricting cycle, California's 8th Congressional District was located in the eastern portion of the state and included Mono and Inyo counties and areas of San Bernardino County.[9]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Paul Cook Incumbent |
62.3% | 136,972 | |
| Democratic | Rita Ramirez | 37.7% | 83,035 | |
| Total Votes | 220,007 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |
Paul Cook Incumbent |
42% | 50,425 | |
| Democratic | Rita Ramirez |
21.9% | 26,325 | |
| Republican | Tim Donnelly | 20.7% | 24,886 | |
| Democratic | John Pinkerton | 9.8% | 11,780 | |
| Democratic | Roger LaPlante | 5.5% | 6,661 | |
| Total Votes | 120,077 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State |
||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates:  Paul Cook   Rita Ramirez |
|
Primary candidates: Roger LaPlante[10][4] John Pinkerton[11][4] Rita Ramirez[4] Paul Cook - Incumbent[4] Tim Donnelly - Former state rep.[4][12] |
District history
2014
The 8th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Paul Cook (R) defeated Bob Conaway (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Cook Incumbent |
67.6% | 77,480 | |
| Democratic | Bob Conaway | 32.4% | 37,056 | |
| Total Votes | 114,536 | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 8th Congressional District of California held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Republican Paul Cook won the election in the district.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Cook |
57.4% | 103,093 | |
| Republican | Greg Imus | 42.6% | 76,551 | |
| Total Votes | 179,644 | |||
| 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 4.5 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
- ↑ Roger LaPlante for Congress, "Home," accessed March 29, 2016
- ↑ Pinkerton for Congress, "Home," accessed March 26, 2016
- ↑ The Sun, "Tim Donnelly announces run against Rep. Cook," March 11, 2016
- ↑ 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!
