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California's 30th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)

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← 2024
California's 30th Congressional District
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Top-two primary
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 30th Congressional District
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California elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A top-two primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in California's 30th Congressional District to determine which two candidates will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 6, 2026
June 2, 2026
November 3, 2026



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.[1][2]

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.

This page focuses on California's 30th Congressional District's top-two primary. For more in-depth information on the district's general election, see the following page:

Candidates and election results


Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 30

The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 30 on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Laura Friedman
Laura Friedman (D)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Pini Herman (D)
Image of Joel Lava
Joel Lava (D)  Candidate Connection
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Darrell Reeves (D)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Alan Starzinski (D)
Image of Cameron Tennyson
Cameron Tennyson (D)
Image of Dennis Feitosa
Dennis Feitosa (R)
Image of Scott Meyers
Scott Meyers (R)  Candidate Connection
Image of John Armenian
John Armenian (No party preference)  Candidate Connection

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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.

John Armenian

Image of John Armenian

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: No party preference

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I'm John Armenian, an aerospace entrepreneur, immigrant success story, and political outsider running for Congress in CA-30. Born in Lebanon, I came to Boston then moved to California 40+ years ago, earned degrees in physics from AUB and Tufts, spent four decades in national defense technology with top-secret DoD clearances, founded my own R&D firm, and earned NASA recognition for work on the Hubble Space Telescope. I earned my MBA from USC at 67, raised two daughters here, and have three grandchildren in California public schools. I'm fluent in four languages, running as a No Party Preference independent, and I have one mission: bring systems engineering discipline and common sense to a broken Congress. Ultimately, the goal is to bring governing back to work for the people."

Key Messages

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

I'm an Independent Centrist running for the people, not a party. After 40 years solving problems for America's national defense — not by picking political sides, but with data, logic, and rigorous scientific discipline — I'm bringing that same approach to Congress. CA-30 deserves a representative who fixes problems instead of performing for a party base. I have no interest in being a career politician. I've already built a successful life. This is about service, not status. Common sense solutions, not politics.

Runaway federal deficit is driving the inflation and crushing families in Glendale, Burbank, and Hollywood, situated in the heart of Los Angeles. I will demand $250B in annual deficit reduction, require transparent quarterly federal financial reporting, and bring good-paying STEM and trade jobs to the district. A technologist knows: fix the foundation first!

I built a successful company from the ground up and I believe in the American Dream that works — with clear rules, merit-based legal immigration, and a humane path to legal status for law-abiding, tax-paying undocumented residents already here. Immigration built CA-30. Smart, compassionate policy will keep it strong, thriving and developing, with dignity intact.

Joel Lava

Image of Joel Lava

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I’m Joel Lava — a lifelong Democrat, activist, father, and union member. I’ve been organizing in the streets: Protests. Community actions. Spreading the word and turning frustration into collective action. That’s mobilization. Our country has been turned upside down, and too many leaders have gone missing. We need Impeachment. Accountability. Consequences. And a Congress that fights. Income inequality has soared, while affordable housing has become as unreachable as a livable climate. Our economy and jobs are being steered by 8 tech billionaires with a God Complex! We live in a country besieged by gun violence, that also fails to provide affordable health care to all its people. Here’s the truth: We already have workable solutions. What’s missing isn’t policy. It’s courage. It simply requires leaders willing to stand on principle and not focus groups. TAKE A STAND, AND TAKE THE PUNCHES! Leaders who harness the power of their constituents and mobilize for change. I’ve been doing that work on the ground. Now I’m bringing it to Congress."

Key Messages

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

Fight like our country depends on it. Impeach Trump. Hold all lawbreakers accountable.

Gun Violence - there is a way to get at this. 30 years of trying has yielded few results. We must go after and engage the Gun & Ammo manufacturers directly. namethemtoshamethem.com

Fight to bring filmmaking back to LA. Help the creative working class of our district and LA to navigate the perils of global competition, consolidating markets, and AI.

Scott Meyers

Image of Scott Meyers

Website

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "California native. Self-employed for 26 years. I am Scott Meyers, and I am running for Congress to fight for Los Angeles. I have lived in this region for almost 50 years. I am not a career politician. I am your neighbor. I was raised by a schoolteacher and a minister, lower middle class. I was raised on hope, discipline, responsibility, and love of this country's liberties. I started working at 14. As a small business owner for three decades, I built my law practice confronting problems and solving them. I see what you see: people struggling with rising rent, groceries, and gas. California and Washington remain undisciplined with our money. I oppose tax increases. This District is the entertainment capital of the world. I will fight to bring film and television production back, returning thousands of jobs and supporting small businesses. Government must be held accountable for how it spends our money. I will work to restore neighborhood safety, secure the border, require genuine education — science, reading, writing, math, and critical thinking — and extinguish the drug crisis. Common sense starts here."

Key Messages

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

I stand for full accountability and transparency over how our tax money is spent. Currently we are only learning about fraud, waste and abuse of Californian’s money by way of federal investigations. Our state and local governments won’t investigate.Because the federal government helps finance the state, the county, and the city, it should have immediate access to the various funding projects of our state, county and city that have ended up only fleecing us citizens.

I will remain steadfast in keeping boys out of girls sports, and out of their locker rooms.

I favor and promise full access to constituents by way of quarterly, open, and unscripted press conferences. Elected officials must speak to their constituents and answer their concerns and questions. We don’t currently have that in California. That will change with me.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

Election information in California: June 2, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: June 2, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by May 18, 2026
  • Online: May 18, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A
  • Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 23, 2026 to June 1, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (PT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Laura Friedman Democratic Party $512,266 $443,847 $365,168 As of December 31, 2025
Pini Herman Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Joel Lava Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Darrell Reeves Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Alan Starzinski Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Cameron Tennyson Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Dennis Feitosa Republican Party $5,458 $548 $4,909 As of December 31, 2025
Scott Meyers Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
John Armenian No party preference $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

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.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting ahead of the 2026 election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map used in the 2024 election next to the map in place for the 2026 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.

2024

2023_01_03_ca_congressional_district_030.jpg

2026

2027_01_03_ca_congressional_district_30.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+22. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 22 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 30th the 44th most Democratic district nationally.[3]

2024 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in California's 30th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
68.2%28.4%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in California, 2024

California presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 16 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R P[4] D R R R D D D D D R R R D R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of California state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of California's congressional delegation as of March 2026.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 43 45
Republican 0 7 7
Independent 0 1 1
Vacancies 0 1 1
Total 2 52 54

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in California's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in California, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Gavin Newsom
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Eleni Kounalakis
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Shirley Weber
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Rob Bonta

State legislature

California State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 30
     Republican Party 10
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

California State Assembly

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 60
     Republican Party 20
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 80

Trifecta control

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

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

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ California Legislative Information, "California Constitution, Article II, Section 5," accessed October 29, 2025
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed October 29, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  4. ↑ Progressive Party


California's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Alex Padilla (D)
Adam Schiff (D)
Representatives
District 1
Vacant
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 (7)
Independent (1)
Vacancies (1)


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