California's 48th Congressional District election, 2026
All U.S. House districts, including the 48th Congressional District of California, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline is March 6, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
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
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Albert James Mora (No party preference)
- Anuj Dixit (D)
- Suzanne Till (D)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 48
The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 48 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Darrell Issa (R) | |
| Mike Bucy (Independent) | ||
 | Ammar Campa-Najjar (D) | |
 | Abel Chavez (D) | |
 | Stephen Clemons (D)  | |
 | Corinna Contreras (D) | |
| Nicholas Davis (D) | ||
 | Curtis Morrison (D) | |
 | Brian Nash (D) | |
 | Ferguson Porter (D) | |
 | Brandon Riker (D) | |
 | Whitney Shanahan (D) | |
 | Marni von Wilpert (D) | |
| ||||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Marc Iannarino (D)
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrell Issa | Republican Party | $1,491,705 | $491,497 | $2,644,824 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Ammar Campa-Najjar | Democratic Party | $823,124 | $405,296 | $417,889 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Abel Chavez | Democratic Party | $204,095 | $187,192 | $16,903 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Stephen Clemons | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Corinna Contreras | Democratic Party | $12,922 | $1,164 | $11,758 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Nicholas Davis | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Curtis Morrison | Democratic Party | $26,844 | $25,422 | $1,422 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Brian Nash | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ferguson Porter | Democratic Party | $63,492 | $40,955 | $22,538 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Brandon Riker | Democratic Party | $1,524,345 | $463,423 | $1,060,921 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jerlilia Ryans | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Whitney Shanahan | Democratic Party | $4,174 | $2,985 | $1,386 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Marni von Wilpert | Democratic Party | $519,997 | $215,721 | $304,276 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Mike Bucy | Independent | $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." |
|||||
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 48th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 2/3/2026 | 1/27/2026 | 1/20/2026 | 1/13/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| 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 |
Republican-held U.S. House district that Harris won
This is one of nine U.S. House districts Republicans are defending that Kamala Harris (D) won in 2024. The map below highlights those districts. Hover over or click a district to see information such as the incumbent and the presidential vote counts.
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 48
Incumbent Darrell Issa (R) defeated Stephen Houlahan (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 48 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darrell Issa (R) | 59.3 | 213,625 |
 | Stephen Houlahan (D) | 40.7 | 146,665 | |
| Total votes: 360,290 | |||
| = 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
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 48
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 48 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darrell Issa (R) | 62.4 | 111,510 |
| ✔ | | Stephen Houlahan (D) | 14.9 | 26,601 |
| | Whitney Shanahan (D) | 12.2 | 21,819 | |
 | Mike Simon (D) | 7.2 | 12,950 | |
 | Matthew Rascon (D) | 2.2 | 3,988 | |
 | Lucinda Jahn (No party preference) | 1.1 | 1,959 | |
| Total votes: 178,827 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 48
Incumbent Darrell Issa (R) defeated Stephen Houlahan (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 48 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darrell Issa (R) | 60.4 | 155,171 |
| | Stephen Houlahan (D) | 39.6 | 101,900 | |
| Total votes: 257,071 | |||
| = 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
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 48
Incumbent Darrell Issa (R) and Stephen Houlahan (D) defeated Matthew Rascon (D) and Lucinda Jahn (Independent) in the primary for U.S. House California District 48 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darrell Issa (R) | 61.5 | 101,280 |
| ✔ | | Stephen Houlahan (D) | 27.8 | 45,740 |
| | Matthew Rascon (D) | 9.1 | 14,983 | |
| | Lucinda Jahn (Independent) | 1.6 | 2,614 | |
| Total votes: 164,617 | |||
| = 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
- Mari Barosay (D)
- Harley Rouda (D)
- Chris Balasinski (Independent)
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 48
Michelle Steel (R) defeated incumbent Harley Rouda (D) in the general election for U.S. House California District 48 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michelle Steel (R) | 51.1 | 201,738 |
 | Harley Rouda (D) | 48.9 | 193,362 | |
| Total votes: 395,100 | |||
| = 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
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 48
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 48 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Harley Rouda (D) | 46.7 | 99,659 |
| ✔ | | Michelle Steel (R) | 34.9 | 74,418 |
 | Brian Burley (R) | 12.1 | 25,884 | |
 | Richard Mata (American Independent Party of California) | 2.7 | 5,704 | |
 | John Schuesler (R) | 2.3 | 4,900 | |
 | James Griffin (R) | 1.3 | 2,714 | |
| Total votes: 213,279 | |||
| = 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
- Hans Keirstead (D)
- Scott Baugh (R)
- Christopher Michael Engels (R)
- Tami Murillo (R)
- Caleb Sturges (R)
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
2026
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 R+7. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 7 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made California's 48th the 163rd most Republican district nationally.[5]
2020 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.
Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|
| 50.3% | 47.1% |
Presidential voting history
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[6] | 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 |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of California's congressional delegation as of January 2026.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from California | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 43 | 45 |
| Republican | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Lieutenant Governor | Eleni Kounalakis |
| Secretary of State | Shirley Weber |
| Attorney General | 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 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
- ↑ Progressive Party
