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California's 11th Congressional District election, 2026

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The boundaries of this district will change as a result of California Proposition 50, which voters approved on November 5, 2025. Click here to read more about the mid-decade redistricting effort in California and other states.


2024
California's 11th Congressional District
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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 Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
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 11th Congressional District
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California elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 11th Congressional District of California, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

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

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House California District 11

The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 11 on November 3, 2026.


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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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.

Image of Saikat Chakrabarti

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "My name is Saikat Chakrabarti, and I’m running for Congress in California’s 11th District. I came to San Francisco in 2009 after studying computer science at Harvard and became an early engineer at Stripe. For the son of Indian immigrants who came to this country through a government program that once actively recruited people to help build America, it felt like the American Dream. But as I watched friends, neighbors, and coworkers struggling harder every year just to make rent or afford childcare, I realized that dream was slipping away for most people. I left tech because I couldn’t ignore the deeper crisis. I wanted to use my skills to fight for an economy and a democracy that actually work for ordinary people. Over the past decade I’ve helped launch some of the biggest progressive campaigns in America: I built organizing tools for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, co-founded Justice Democrats, recruited and ran campaigns for candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and served as her first Chief of Staff where I helped launch the Green New Deal. After leaving Washington, I started the think tank New Consensus to develop detailed plans for how we can rebuild American industry, create millions of high-wage jobs, and tackle the climate crisis. Now I’m running for Congress because San Franciscans are being crushed by the cost of living and betrayed by leaders who are too comfortable in power to fight for us. We need bold action, and I know how to make it happen."


Key Messages

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


San Franciscans, and Americans everywhere, are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Working families, young people, and seniors alike are being priced out of the basics: healthcare, housing, education, and childcare. This didn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of decades of policy that put corporate profits ahead of people. In Congress, I’ll fight for Medicare for All, a national housing plan that builds millions of affordable homes, tuition-free public college, and universal childcare so working families can finally breathe again.


Donald Trump is leading an authoritarian coup, and too many Democrats in Washington are either passive or paralyzed in the face of it. My first priority will be protecting San Franciscans from Trump’s attacks and helping lead a collective resistance. That means building the strongest constituent services program in the country, defending the integrity of our elections, and using my position to pull together institutions like law firms, universities, and communities to fight back against Trump’s assault on democracy.


We need a modern-day New Deal to rebuild the middle class and stop the march of authoritarianism. Over the past 50 years, millions of good jobs have been shipped overseas and wages for the bottom 50% of American workers have stagnated while costs keep rising. This was not an accident. It was the direct result of decades of economic policy that prioritized short-term corporate earnings and sold out the middle class. I’ll fight for a national mobilization like we had during WWII to build clean industries, create millions of high-paying jobs, and prove that democracy can deliver prosperity for everyone.

Image of Darren Helton

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "My name is Darren Helton, and I'm a fourth-generation Californian running for Congress. Working families and the future of our children are being decimated while those in power are too comfortable to care. My great-grandparents came from the East Coast to San Diego in the 1940s to build a better life. From them, I grew up believing in the American dream: work hard enough, and anyone could make it. Even as a foster kid learning to prospect and pan for gold, I held onto that belief: determination and grit could still strike it rich in our state. At eight, I was taken from my mother. The system taught me that those making decisions about our lives often know exactly what harm they're causing, they just don't care enough to stop it. San Francisco changed everything for me. Our city gave me the chance to build a career in tech, to transform my life, to prove that where you start doesn't define where you end up. Now I'm running because I need to give back to the city that shaped me. Sadly, the opportunities that lifted me are vanishing. Families can't make rent. Workers can't afford healthcare. Children can't afford hope. We don't need another politician. We need someone who understands that power breaks when regular people stop fighting each other and start fighting together. San Francisco gave me a chance. Now I'm fighting to make sure others get theirs."


Key Messages

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


The system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed. Every crisis we face was engineered: unaffordable housing keeps people desperate, medical debt keeps them compliant, student loans keep them trapped. I'm not running to fix the system. I'm running to expose it, break it, and build something that actually works for people who work.


Climate chaos, water wars, and resource collapse aren't coming, they're here. The same people who decided I'd go to foster care knowing it would likely destroy me are about to decide who gets water and who doesn't. We need to build parallel systems now, before those who only care about protecting their own wealth make those choices for the rest of us.


Our real enemy has a name and an address. We need to stop fighting our neighbors over scraps. The billionaire class gained a trillion dollars last year while we argued about pronouns and vaccines. I'll name names, expose the actual mechanisms of extraction, and show you exactly how we make power too expensive to maintain.

Image of Jingchao Xiong

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Social management scientist, founder of Common World, author of Automated Era My qualified is social management scientist. As the founder of social management, I possess the highest level of legislative skills in mankind. I can establish the world peace order , check and balance the power of the President of USA, make America more great. There are another 434 representatives in Congress with different ideology. I will lead the Democrats and persuade the Republicans to institutionalize the Internet society and implement policies in the Professional Era . Let officials and legislators in various places obtain scientific licenses in social management in order to serve people's livelihood. I will build new industries and promote common economics so that there will be no more needy people in the world. Send me to Congress, the per capita income of San Francisco county residents will exceed $1 million/year in three years. My book "AUTOMATED ERA" has discussed the evolution of human beings and planned the common world of Automated Era.Belief in living saints is more realistic than belief in imaginary God. I can bring mankind into a common world that is more equal, free, happy, and materially abundant than heaven!"


Key Messages

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


Equal land rights: Ensure that every citizen has suitable land in their own country. There is no need to buy high-priced real estate and cemeteries. There will be no Homeless.


Social management science: Ensure that every official and legislator is qualified and no longer waste the value of people’s labor and taxes.


Human belonging: Ensure that has a wealthy family, and everyone will have a clan to rely on from birth to death.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

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

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

San Franciscans, and Americans everywhere, are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Working families, young people, and seniors alike are being priced out of the basics: healthcare, housing, education, and childcare. This didn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of decades of policy that put corporate profits ahead of people. In Congress, I’ll fight for Medicare for All, a national housing plan that builds millions of affordable homes, tuition-free public college, and universal childcare so working families can finally breathe again.

Donald Trump is leading an authoritarian coup, and too many Democrats in Washington are either passive or paralyzed in the face of it. My first priority will be protecting San Franciscans from Trump’s attacks and helping lead a collective resistance. That means building the strongest constituent services program in the country, defending the integrity of our elections, and using my position to pull together institutions like law firms, universities, and communities to fight back against Trump’s assault on democracy.

We need a modern-day New Deal to rebuild the middle class and stop the march of authoritarianism. Over the past 50 years, millions of good jobs have been shipped overseas and wages for the bottom 50% of American workers have stagnated while costs keep rising. This was not an accident. It was the direct result of decades of economic policy that prioritized short-term corporate earnings and sold out the middle class. I’ll fight for a national mobilization like we had during WWII to build clean industries, create millions of high-paying jobs, and prove that democracy can deliver prosperity for everyone.
The system isn't broken, it's working exactly as designed.

Every crisis we face was engineered: unaffordable housing keeps people desperate, medical debt keeps them compliant, student loans keep them trapped. I'm not running to fix the system. I'm running to expose it, break it, and build something that actually works for people who work.

Climate chaos, water wars, and resource collapse aren't coming, they're here.

The same people who decided I'd go to foster care knowing it would likely destroy me are about to decide who gets water and who doesn't. We need to build parallel systems now, before those who only care about protecting their own wealth make those choices for the rest of us.

Our real enemy has a name and an address.

We need to stop fighting our neighbors over scraps. The billionaire class gained a trillion dollars last year while we argued about pronouns and vaccines. I'll name names, expose the actual mechanisms of extraction, and show you exactly how we make power too expensive to maintain.
Equal land rights:

Ensure that every citizen has suitable land in their own country. There is no need to buy high-priced real estate and cemeteries. There will be no Homeless.

Social management science: Ensure that every official and legislator is qualified and no longer waste the value of people’s labor and taxes.

Human belonging: Ensure that has a wealthy family, and everyone will

have a clan to rely on from birth to death.
I am passionate about rebuilding an economy that works for working and middle-class families. For decades, wages have been flat while costs have soared. Too many San Franciscans have been forced to leave because the cost of living is unbearable. I’ve spent the last decade working on solutions. In AOC’s office, I launched the Green New Deal to tackle climate change while creating millions of jobs. At New Consensus, I built the Mission for America: a plan to revitalize our economy and put America back into mission mode. In Congress, I’ll fight for Medicare for All, universal pre-K, social housing, and industrial policy that rebuilds good jobs. These ideas aren’t fringe — they’re overwhelmingly popular.
• Protecting our kids. Every child deserves safety, not case numbers. We need communities that catch families before they fall.

• Making work pay. Your boss's boss makes more daily than you make yearly. We need universal healthcare and real safety nets so workers can walk away from exploitation.

• Climate survival. The rich are building their bunkers and buying water rights. We need neighborhood solar, community water systems, local food networks – now.

• Exposing the game. Housing, healthcare, wages – these aren't separate crises. They're one system extracting from us. I name who profits from our pain and how we stop them together.
Quality education for minors. Skill level increases for adults. Healthy lifestyle for seniors.
The ancestor of humanity five thousand years ago: Wongdai, he created a pattern of dividing borders and governing the world. Human beings no longer rob each other, and everyone has land for ethnic development. He became the common master of all tribes, making our nation the most populous.
AUTOMATED ERA

Publisher ‎Writers Republic LLC (March 17, 2023) Language ‎English Paperback ‎208 pages ISBN-13 ‎979-8888107300 逍遙聖人熊競超Blog Publisher ‎Ehgbooks (March 1, 2024) Language ‎Chinese Paperback ‎358 pages ISBN-10 ‎164784228X

ISBN-13 ‎978-1647842284
The most important principle for any elected official is loyalty to their constituents. Too many politicians go to Washington and spend their days dialing for dollars from wealthy donors instead of listening to the people who sent them there. I’ve pledged not to take a dime of corporate PAC money, and I spend my time knocking doors, doing Zoom calls, and hearing directly from San Franciscans. But fixing politics takes more than good intentions. It takes systemic reform. That’s why I’ll fight to ban congressional stock trading, overturn Citizens United, end the revolving door with lobbying, and pass publicly financed elections. We have to make sure our democracy serves the people, not the billionaires and corporate lobbyists.
Qualification requirements:

When people drive small cars, their driver's license requires a Class C. When the driver drives a truck, the driver's license requires Class B or CDL B. When the driver drives a Bus, CDL A is definitely required. Social management science will certify qualified officials and legislators. If

not qualified, they will be interim officers.
Noble moral integrity and selfless dedication! In-depth knowledge has been accumulated in the exploration of the entire history of human development, and a broad vision has emerged in the understanding of national cultures around the world. So I created the science of social management, which allows everyone to achieve the best quality of life from birth to old age.
Have sufficient knowledge and skills and understand the social responsibilities of the position.
Common World Values. social management development theory
When I was five years old, I fell into a pond in the village. I jumped up and down to the shore, and then climbed back up. It proves that people's instinct is to save their own lives when they are calm.
Bus-boy at 16. A customer slipped me $100, said "I was once where you are. Work hard and you'll make it."

My manager took it. Kept it for himself.

One shift, two lessons: The customer believed hard work was enough. The manager knew an easier way - why work when you can just take?

That's the current America. The myth and the theft, clearing tables side by side.
Teacher, one month
One of my favorite books is The Defining Moment by Jonathan Alter, about FDR’s first 100 days in office. It shows how, in the face of economic collapse and the rise of fascism, a president used bold leadership and massive public mobilization to save democracy and rebuild the middle class. That history is more relevant now than ever. We’re facing our own crisis of democracy and economy, and it reminds me that with courage and political will, we can rise to the challenge again.
封神演義 Everyone with a mission will eventually become a god
It allows all citizens to have their own representatives and participate in the management of social affairs in the United States. All members of Congress must have channels of communication with their constituents.
Experience can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, my work on Bernie’s campaign and as AOC’s Chief of Staff taught me exactly how Washington works and how corporate lobbyists kill progress. More importantly, I learned how to fight back and win. On the other hand, too much time in Washington corrupts people. Incumbents get stuck chasing donations and lose touch with the real struggles of their constituents. I bring the best of both worlds: I know how the system works, I’ve proven I can deliver big ideas like the Green New Deal, and I’ll never cave to the establishment. My commitment is to the people of San Francisco always.
The current crisis was created by "experienced politicians". We need people to serve who've lived under these broken systems, not managed them.
No, Knowledge and skills are what they need to have
The greatest challenge we face is the collapse of trust in our democracy. People look around and see skyrocketing rents, millions without health insurance, and jobs outsourced overseas while politicians make promises and deliver nothing. That loss of faith is what fuels Trump and the authoritarian right. To save democracy, we have to prove it can deliver prosperity for everyone. That means Medicare for All, building millions of affordable homes, and a national mission to create millions of high-wage clean jobs. If we do that, we can defeat authoritarianism for good. If we don’t, Trump and the oligarchs will keep winning.
Climate triage, wealth extraction reaching its breaking point, and whether we organize together, or turn on each other when resources get scarce.
There are no qualified leaders and legislators. Social management science will solve this problem and produce adequate leaders
Yes. Power corrupts over time, no exceptions. Service, not career.
It takes three years to graduate and leave. Officials have the responsibility

to train the next generation. If they contribute, they will be promoted. If they are not capable, they must leave to learn again. Human life is limited. If a person stays in the same position for too long, it will waste the growth of

others and hinder the development of societ
Whichever gender you think you are is whatever gender you think you are!
Compromise is a noble moral quality. Because compromise takes into

account the interests of both parties and avoids conflicts. But the ability to compromise and the way to compromise are key, and Common World values allow humans to create standards. A partnership between two parties that can compromise is a partnership. The two parties that cannot compromise will be completely separated and no longer in contact.

Anyone can compromise if they share common values ​​or goals.
In comparative politics, three methods are used to compare governments: interest, identity, and system. The purpose of our investigation is whether the distribution of benefits is equal so that everyone can have the best quality of life distribution.
I have analyzed different stages of social management development.

There is a standard for measuring the level of government. There is a clear standard for whether the administration brings damage or development.

Officials cannot praise their perceived achievements.


You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Cole Bettles Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Saikat Chakrabarti Democratic Party $949,097 $853,713 $95,384 As of September 30, 2025
Darren Helton Democratic Party $5,247 $5,247 $0 As of June 30, 2025
Daniel Wheeler Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Scott Wiener Democratic Party $1,031,293 $164,188 $867,106 As of September 30, 2025
Jingchao Xiong Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
David Ganezer Republican Party $7 $0 $7 As of September 30, 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.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: California's 11th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/2/202511/25/202511/18/202511/11/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

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


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

2024

2022

2020

District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

California 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018


Senators
Representatives
District 1
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 (9)