John MacKenzie (California)
L. John MacKenzie (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 4th Congressional District. MacKenzie declared candidacy for the primary scheduled on June 2, 2026.[source]
2026 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the June 2 top-two primary for California's 4th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Three Democrats, four Republicans, and one independent candidate are running in the top-two primary for California's 4th Congressional District on June 2, 2026. As of March 2026, incumbent Mike Thompson (D) and Eric Jones (D) led in fundraising and local media attention.[1][2]
Local political observers describe the primary in terms of the ideological and generational contrast between Thompson and Jones. The San Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofali described the primary as "another example of a younger, well-funded Bay Area Democrat taking on an entrenched candidate as the Democratic Party grapples with how to win back voters," referring to the party's losses at the national level in the 2024 elections.[2] Politico's Jeremy B. White said Jones is "hoping to exploit a rapidly shifting media landscape that makes it easier for lesser-known candidates to break through, as Zohran Mamdani did in New York’s mayoral primary with viral campaign videos."[3] The Press Democrat's Phil Barber said, "Democrats hold an overwhelming edge in voter registration in the district, so the June primary is set to decide the likely frontrunner in the November election."[4]
Thompson was first elected to the House in 1998. He earlier served eight years in the California Senate. Thompson is a vineyard owner. Thompson says he is running because "[w]ith the outcome of the last election and what’s happened since then with this (Donald Trump) administration and the Republican majority, it’s absolutely imperative that I continue the work I’ve started," referring to his position on the House Ways and Means Committee.[1] The Democratic Party of California endorsed Thompson.[5]
Jones is a former executive at an investment firm and the founder of the American Dream Institute, a group describing itself as "a first-of-its-kind digital engagement engine dedicated to helping the Democratic Party rebuild trust with young working Americans."[6] Jones says he is running "to restore the American Dream for every family — not just the wealthy few."[7] Our Revolution, an organization that advocates for the policies of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), endorsed Jones.[8]
Also running in the primary are Trevor Merrell (D), Sharon Brown (R), Heath Fulkerson (R), Mandy Ghusar (R), John MacKenzie (R), and John Wesley Tyler (I).
In a top-two primary, all candidates running for a given office appear on the same ballot. The top two finishers—regardless of partisan affiliation—advance to the general election. One Democrat and one Republican have advanced from every top-two primary in the 4th District since 2016.
The primary is taking place in the context of redistricting in California that changed the 4th District's boundaries from those used in 2024. Inside Elections' Nathaniel Rakich said the 2026 version of the 4th District favors Democrats overall but does so by a narrower margin than the district lines in use in 2024.[9] As of March 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Solid/Safe Democratic.
Elections
2026
See also: California's 4th Congressional District election, 2026
California's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary)
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.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 4
The following candidates are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 4 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mike Thompson (D) | |
| Sharon Brown (R) | ||
 | Heath Fulkerson (R) | |
| Mandy Ghusar (R) | ||
 | Eric Jones (D) | |
| Jimih Jones (R) | ||
| L. John MacKenzie (R) | ||
Trevor Merrell (D)  | ||
 | Raymond Riehle (R) | |
| Thomas Roach (No party preference) | ||
 | John Wesley Tyler (No party preference) | |
| Chuck Uribe (R) | ||
| ||||
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Candidate spending
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Thompson | Democratic Party | $2,037,569 | $1,313,154 | $1,933,903 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Eric Jones | Democratic Party | $2,591,551 | $789,151 | $1,802,400 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Trevor Merrell | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Sharon Brown | Republican Party | $7,000 | $2,780 | $4,220 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Heath Fulkerson | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mandy Ghusar | Republican Party | $7,000 | $3,789 | $3,211 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Jimih Jones | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| L. John MacKenzie | Republican Party | $7,000 | $2,780 | $4,220 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Raymond Riehle | Republican Party | $90,180 | $75,019 | $15,701 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Chuck Uribe | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Thomas Roach | No party preference | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| John Wesley Tyler | No party preference | $1,385 | $1,337 | $48 | As of December 31, 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." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[10][11][12]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
L. John MacKenzie has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to L. John MacKenzie asking them to fill out the survey. If you are L. John MacKenzie, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
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You can ask L. John MacKenzie to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing mackenzie@pci.vote.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Press Democrat, "Why rival Democrat Eric Jones thinks he can unseat Mike Thompson, North Bay's senior congressman," September 9, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The San Francisco Chronicle, "Another longtime Bay Area House member is getting an intraparty challenge," September 9, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "Dems unleash House primary challenges in war on gerontocracy," September 16, 2025
- ↑ The Press Democrat, "U.S. Capitol police: Member of Eric Jones’ campaign investigated for surveilling Mike Thompson’s Napa County home," December 4, 2025
- ↑ Democratic Party of California, "2026 Primary Election Endorsements," February 22, 2026
- ↑ Yahoo Finance, "American Dream Institute Launches to Help Progressives Win Back Young Americans," August 22, 2025
- ↑ Eric Jones campaign website, "Home page," accessed March 9, 2026
- ↑ Facebook, "Our Revolution on February 23, 2026," accessed March 9, 2026
- ↑ Inside Elections, "A Detailed Analysis of California’s (Maybe) New Congressional Map," August 21, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
