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California's 33rd Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)

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← 2024
California's 33rd 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 33rd 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 33rd 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 33rd 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 33

The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 33 on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Pete Aguilar
Pete Aguilar (D)
Image of Antonis Christodoulou
Antonis Christodoulou (D)  Candidate Connection
Image of Tom Herman
Tom Herman (R)
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Ernest Richter (R)
Image of Stephanie Vargas
Stephanie Vargas (R)  Candidate Connection
Image of Eugene Weems
Eugene Weems (R)  Candidate Connection
Image of Ling Ling Shi
Ling Ling Shi (No party preference)

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.

Antonis Christodoulou

Image of Antonis Christodoulou

Website

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Antonis Christodoulou is a 27-year-old progressive. He earned a bachelor's degree from UC Irvine in 2021 and a JD from American University Washington College of Law in 2025. He was raised in Rancho Cucamonga by a single mother who immigrated to the United States for the American dream. Previously, he has worked as a food delivery driver and a server assistant. Recently, he has worked as a legal intern and law clerk."

Key Messages

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

1. AFFORDABLE HOUSING. We need to bring the cost of housing down by building more housing and banning private equity and Wall Street investors from purchasing apartment complexes and houses. Then, we need our government to compete in the market by offering affordable apartments at cost. In doing so, our rent goes to our communities and not to wealthy investors.

2. BREAK UP MONOPOLIES to bring down prices. In the last ten years, the biggest companies have purchased their competitors, resulting in higher prices. This exact anticompetitive behavior is happening in every market, such as housing, healthcare, internet providers, groceries, utilities, and subscriptions. In the past, our federal government has broken up big corporations to bring down prices. We need politicians who are not afraid to go against the wealthy investors.

3. MEDICARE FOR ALL. Healthcare costs and premiums have skyrocketed. Americans should not have to decide between paying rent, taking life-saving medications, or going to the doctor's office. We are paying high premiums and our federal tax dollars are going to wealthy insurance companies that end up denying our claims when we have a medical issue. Medical Bankruptcy is a government failure.

Stephanie Vargas

Image of Stephanie Vargas

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Key Messages

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

I am committed to supporting our law enforcement and fire service personnel, ensuring our community remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.

I will fight for our families, stand up for parental rights, and deliver the common-sense policies our children need to thrive.

I am stepping up to confront our economic challenges head-on—from lowering the cost of living and fixing the housing crisis to delivering the tax relief our families and businesses desperately need.

Eugene Weems

Image of Eugene Weems

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Eugene Weems was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned an Associate in Arts degree in American Studies from Coastline Community College 2016 and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication from California Coast University in 2020. He's currently furthering his academic journey by pursuing a Master’s degree at Columbia Southern University. Weems is a community leader, bestselling author, and Heavyweight World Champion in kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 'Vibrant Green for Vibrant Peace" and is best known for his philanthropic work."

Key Messages

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

"Make the Inland Empire Affordable Again" Lower the cost of living, expand affordable housing, and deliver tax relief so working families can stay, grow, and succeed right here at home.

"Safer Communities. Real Solutions" Protect our neighborhoods with smart public safety, youth investment, and practical solutions to homelessness and mental health — without political games.

"Real Opportunity for Every Family" Create better-paying local jobs and make healthcare affordable so every resident has the chance to rise, thrive, and build a stable future.

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
Pete Aguilar Democratic Party $3,026,029 $2,462,955 $3,212,145 As of December 31, 2025
Antonis Christodoulou Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Tom Herman Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ernest Richter Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Stephanie Vargas Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Eugene Weems Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ling Ling Shi 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_033.jpg

2026

2027_01_03_ca_congressional_district_33.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+7. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 7 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made California's 33rd the 149th 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 33rd Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
53.6%43.5%

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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