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Primaries in California, 2022

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2024 →
← 2020
Top-two and top-four battleground primaries, 2022
Flag of California.png
Primary Date
June 7, 2022
Federal elections
Top-two primaries for U.S. House
State party
State political party revenue

This page focuses on the top-two primaries that took place in California on June 7, 2022.

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 June 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in California, 2022 (June 7 top-two primary)

The 2022 U.S. Senate elections in California took place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in California, 2022 (June 7 top-two primaries)
The 2022 U.S. House of Representatives elections in California took place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected 52 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 52 congressional districts. To see a full list of candidates in the primary in each district, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 2

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 3

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 4

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 5

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 6

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 7

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 8

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 9

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 10

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 11

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 12

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 13

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 14

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 15

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 16

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 17

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 18

Primary candidates

District 19

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 20

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 21

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 22

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 23

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 24

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 25

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 26

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 27

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 28

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 29

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 30

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 31

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 32

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 33

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 34

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 35

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 36

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 37

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 38

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 39

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 40

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 41

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 42

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 43

Primary candidates

District 44

Primary candidates

District 45

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 46

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 47

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

District 48

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 49

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 50

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 51

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 52

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

State elections

State Senate

See also: California State Senate elections, 2022
The California State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2020, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. To see a full list of state Senate candidates in the top-two primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

California State Senate elections, 2022
  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngMike McGuire (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngGene Yoon  Candidate Connection

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngMarie Alvarado-Gil  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngTim Robertson  Candidate Connection

Steven C. Bailey
Jolene Daly  Candidate Connection
Michael Gordon
Jack Griffith
Jeff McKay
George Radanovich

District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngPaula Marie Villescaz

Did not make the ballot:
Matt Burgess 
Tecoy Porter  Candidate Connection
Eric Guerra 

Michael Huang
Green check mark transparent.pngRoger Niello

District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngAngelique Ashby
Rafa Garcia  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngDave Jones  Candidate Connection

Susan Mason (Write-in)

Did not make the ballot:
Jeff McKay 
District 10

Jim Canova
Jamal Khan  Candidate Connection
Raymond Liu  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngLily Mei  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngAisha Wahab  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Jaime Zepeda 

Paul Pimentel

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngSusanne Gundy  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngShannon Grove (i)

District 14

Green check mark transparent.pngAnna Caballero (i)
Paulina Miranda

Did not make the ballot:
Melissa Hurtado (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngAmnon Shor  Candidate Connection

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngMelissa Hurtado (i)
Bryan Osorio
Nicole Parra

Did not make the ballot:
Imelda Ceja 

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Shepard  Candidate Connection
Gregory Tatum

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Padilla

Green check mark transparent.pngAlejandro Galicia

District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Hertzberg
Green check mark transparent.pngCaroline Menjivar  Candidate Connection
Seydi Morales  Candidate Connection

Ely De La Cruz Ayao

District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Rubio (i)

Kimo Mateo  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngVincent Tsai  Candidate Connection

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngBen Allen (i)

Edwin Duterte (Write-in)
Green check mark transparent.pngKristina Irwin (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngMaria Elena Durazo (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngClaudia Agraz (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 28

Jamaal Gulledge
Kamilah Moore
Green check mark transparent.pngLola Smallwood-Cuevas
Green check mark transparent.pngCheryl Turner

Did not make the ballot:
Lisa Middleton 

Joe Lisuzzo

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngBob Archuleta (i)
Henry Bouchot  Candidate Connection
Martha Camacho-Rodriguez

Green check mark transparent.pngMitch Clemmons  Candidate Connection

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Nash  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Bob Archuleta (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Seyarto

District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Umberg (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngRhonda Shader  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
David Hillberg 
District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngKim Carr  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Catherine Blakespear 

Green check mark transparent.pngJanet Nguyen

District 38

Green check mark transparent.pngCatherine Blakespear
Joe Kerr

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Gunderson

District 40

Green check mark transparent.pngJoseph Rocha  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Steve Padilla 

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Jones (i)


State Assembly

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2022
The California State Assembly was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2020, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. To see a full list of state House candidates in the top-two primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

California State Assembly elections, 2022
  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngBelle Starr Sandwith  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMegan Dahle (i)
Kelly Tanner

Joshua Brown (Peace and Freedom Party)  Candidate Connection

District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Wood (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngCharlotte Svolos

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Zink
Jeanenne Hoston (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJames Gallagher (i)

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngCecilia Aguiar-Curry (i)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBryan Pritchard  Candidate Connection

Susan Pelican (No party preference) (Write-in)

District 5

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Chenoweth  Candidate Connection

Jason Paletta
Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Patterson  Candidate Connection
Greg Smith

Did not make the ballot:
Jonathan Zachreson 
District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngKevin McCarty (i)
Josh Pane

Green check mark transparent.pngCathy Cook  Candidate Connection
Bob Marques

Janice Bonser (Libertarian Party)

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Cooley (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Hoover
Quintin Levesque
Jeffrey Perrine
Raymond Riehle  Candidate Connection

District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Patterson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Nichols (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngMushtaq Tahirkheli (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngHeath Flora (i)

District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Guerra
Green check mark transparent.pngStephanie Nguyen
Tecoy Porter
Ben Thompkins

Eric Rigard

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngLori Wilson (i)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJenny Callison (Independent)  Candidate Connection
James Berg (No party preference) (Write-in)

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngSara Aminzadeh
Green check mark transparent.pngDamon Connolly
Steve Schwartz
Ida Times-Green

Andrew Podshadley (Write-in)

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngCarlos Villapudua (i)
Mateo Morelos Bedolla
Green check mark transparent.pngVeronica Vargas

Jessica Wagner (Write-in)

District 14

Green check mark transparent.pngBuffy Wicks (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngRich Kinney (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Grayson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJanell Proctor

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Bauer-Kahan (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJoseph Rubay

District 17

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Haney (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Campos

Did not make the ballot:
David Chiu (i)

Bill Shireman

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngMia Bonta (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMindy Pechenuk (Write-in)

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngPhil Ting (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKarsten Weide  Candidate Connection

District 20

Jennifer Esteen  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngShawn Kumagai  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngLiz Ortega  Candidate Connection

Joseph Grcar

District 21

James Coleman  Candidate Connection
Maurice Goodman
Green check mark transparent.pngGiselle Hale
Alison Madden  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngDiane Papan

Mark Gilham

Tania Solé (Green Party)  Candidate Connection

District 22

Chad Condit  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngJessica Self  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJuan Alanis
Joel Campos
Guadalupe Salazar

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngMarc Berman (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Dec  Candidate Connection

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngAlex Lee (i)  Candidate Connection
Kansen Chu
Lan Diep
Teresa Keng

Green check mark transparent.pngBob Brunton

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngAsh Kalra (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTed Stroll  Candidate Connection

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngEvan Low (i)
Long Jiao

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Gorsulowsky  Candidate Connection

District 27

Mike Karbassi
Green check mark transparent.pngEsmeralda Soria

Amanda Fleming  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngMark Pazin

Randall Pellissier (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngGail Pellerin  Candidate Connection
Rob Rennie  Candidate Connection
Joe Thompson  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngLiz Lawler  Candidate Connection

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Rivas (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngStephanie Castro

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngDawn Addis
Zoë Carter  Candidate Connection
John Drake  Candidate Connection
Jon Wizard  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngVicki Nohrden  Candidate Connection

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngJoaquin Arambula (i)
John Mendoza

Green check mark transparent.pngDolce Calandra

Andrew Verhines (Independent)  Candidate Connection

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngVince Fong (i)

District 33

Ruben Macareno
Green check mark transparent.pngJose Sigala

Green check mark transparent.pngDevon Mathis (i)  Candidate Connection

District 34

Raj Kahlon  Candidate Connection
Rita Ramirez

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Lackey (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngThurston Smith (i)
Paul Fournier  Candidate Connection

Roger LaPlante (Independent)

District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngJasmeet Bains
Green check mark transparent.pngLeticia Perez

District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngEduardo Garcia (i)
Marlon Ware  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngIan Weeks  Candidate Connection

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngGregg Hart
Bruce Wallach

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Stoker

District 38

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Bennett (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngCole Brocato

Daniel Wilson (Independent)  Candidate Connection

District 39

Green check mark transparent.pngJuan Carrillo
Steve Fox
Andrea Rosenthal

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Marsh

District 40

Annie Cho
Green check mark transparent.pngPilar Schiavo  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngSuzette Martinez Valladares (i)

District 41

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Holden (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael McMahon (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 42

Green check mark transparent.pngJacqui Irwin (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngLori Mills  Candidate Connection
Ted Nordblum  Candidate Connection

District 43

Green check mark transparent.pngLuz Maria Rivas (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSiaka Massaquoi (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 44

Green check mark transparent.pngLaura Friedman (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBarry Jacobsen  Candidate Connection

District 45

Green check mark transparent.pngJames Ramos (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJoseph Martinez  Candidate Connection

District 46

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse Gabriel (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDana Caruso  Candidate Connection

District 47

Green check mark transparent.pngChristy Holstege  Candidate Connection
Jamie Swain

Gary Michaels  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Wallis

District 48

Green check mark transparent.pngBlanca Rubio (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Maye (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 49

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Fong (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBurton Brink  Candidate Connection

District 50

Green check mark transparent.pngEloise Gomez Reyes (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Richard Bloom (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSheela Stark  Candidate Connection

Rodgir Cohen (Libertarian Party)  Candidate Connection

District 51

Green check mark transparent.pngLouis Abramson  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngRick Chavez Zbur

District 52

Green check mark transparent.pngWendy Carrillo (i)  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngMia Livas Porter  Candidate Connection

Gia D'Amato

District 53

Green check mark transparent.pngFreddie Rodriguez (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngToni Holle

District 54

Green check mark transparent.pngMiguel Santiago (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngElaine Alaniz (Write-in)

District 55

Green check mark transparent.pngIsaac Bryan (i)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Cascio  Candidate Connection

District 56

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Calderon (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJessica Martinez
Natasha Serrano  Candidate Connection

District 57

Green check mark transparent.pngReginald Jones-Sawyer (i)

District 58

Green check mark transparent.pngSabrina Cervantes (i)

Leticia Castillo  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngBernard Murphy

District 59

Green check mark transparent.pngPhillip Chen (i)

David Naranjo (Libertarian Party) (Write-in)
Green check mark transparent.pngLeon Sit (Independent) (Write-in)  Candidate Connection

District 60

Green check mark transparent.pngCorey Jackson
Esther Portillo
Jasmin Rubio

Green check mark transparent.pngHector Diaz-Nava  Candidate Connection

District 61

Green check mark transparent.pngTina McKinnor (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Pullen-Miles
Angie Reyes English
Nico Ruderman

James A. Spencer

District 62

Green check mark transparent.pngAnthony Rendon (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngMaria Estrada

District 63

Green check mark transparent.pngFauzia Rizvi  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBilal Essayli
Clint Lorimore  Candidate Connection

District 64

Elizabeth Alcantar  Candidate Connection
Roberto Cancio
Rose Espinoza
Green check mark transparent.pngBlanca Pacheco
Ana Valencia

Green check mark transparent.pngRaul Ortiz Jr.  Candidate Connection

District 65

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Gipson (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngFatima Iqbal-Zubair  Candidate Connection

Lydia A. Gutiérrez (Write-in)

District 66

Green check mark transparent.pngAl Muratsuchi (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngGeorge Barks  Candidate Connection

District 67

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Quirk-Silva (i)
Param Brar  Candidate Connection

Sou Moua
Green check mark transparent.pngSoo Y. Yoo

District 68

Green check mark transparent.pngAvelino Valencia
Bulmaro Vicente  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Tardif
James Wallace

District 69

Green check mark transparent.pngAl Austin
Janet Foster
Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Lowenthal
Merry Taheri  Candidate Connection

District 70

Green check mark transparent.pngDiedre Nguyen

Ted Bui
Jason Gray
Emily Hibard  Candidate Connection
Kimberly Ho
Green check mark transparent.pngTri Ta

District 71

Albia Cooper Miller (Write-in)

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Rahn
Green check mark transparent.pngKate Sanchez

District 72

Green check mark transparent.pngJudie Mancuso  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDiane Dixon
Benjamin Yu

District 73

Green check mark transparent.pngCottie Petrie-Norris (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Luis Huang 

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven S. Choi (i)

District 74

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Duncan

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Davies (i)

District 75

Green check mark transparent.pngRandy Voepel (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngMarie Waldron (i)

District 76

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Maienschein (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKristie Bruce-Lane  Candidate Connection
June Yang Cutter

District 77

Green check mark transparent.pngTasha Boerner Horvath (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDan Downey

District 78

Green check mark transparent.pngChristopher Ward (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Gonzales

District 79

Green check mark transparent.pngAkilah Weber (i)

John Moore
Green check mark transparent.pngCorbin Sabol  Candidate Connection

District 80

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Alvarez (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngGeorgette Gómez

John Garcia
Lincoln Pickard

Did not make the ballot:
Steve Sanchez 


State executive offices

See also: California state executive official elections, 2022

Twelve state executive offices were up for election in California in 2022:

Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Treasurer
Controller
Superintendent of Public Instruction
State Board of Equalization (4 seats)
Insurance Commissioner

To see a full list of candidates in the primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

Governor

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Lieutenant Governor

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Attorney General

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Secretary of State

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Treasurer

Primary candidates

Controller

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Board of Equalization

District 1

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 2

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 3

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 4

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Insurance Commissioner

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Primary election competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains information about the primary election competitiveness of election in California. For more information about this data, click here.


U.S. Senate competitiveness

U.S. House competitiveness

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in California in 2022. Information below was calculated on April 7, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

For the first time since at least 2014, every U.S. House district in California had scheduled a contested primary election following the 2022 candidate filing deadline. In California, which uses a top-two primary system, a primary is contested if more than two candidates file to run.

In 2022, 265 candidates filed to run for California's 52 congressional districts, including 112 Democrats, 126 Republicans, and 27 independent and third party candidates. That's 5.1 candidates per district, more than the 4.2 candidates per district in 2020 and the 3.9 in 2018. This figure increased partly due to a larger number of candidates but also because the number of congressional districts in California decreased by one following the 2020 census.

Forty-seven incumbents filed for re-election, all of whom were set to face primary challengers as of the candidate filing deadline, another first since at least 2014. Five districts were left open, meaning no incumbent filed to run there. Four incumbents did not seek re-election and one—Rep. Devin Nunes (R)—resigned early. Nunes' retirement triggered a special election for June 7. No candidates in the special election filed to run in the regularly-scheduled general election, meaning the winner of the special election would only serve in Congress until Jan. 3, 2023.

Nine candidates filed to run in the 30th District, more than any other. This includes three Democrats, including incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff (D), four Republicans, one American Independent Party candidate, and one Green Party candidate.

As of the filing deadline, no districts were guaranteed to either party because both Democrats and Republicans filed to run in all 52. However, under California's top-two primary system, two candidates from the same party can advance to the general election if they are the top two vote-getters in the primary.

State executive competitiveness

State legislative competitiveness

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in California in 2022. Information below was calculated on May 17, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Twenty-six of the 69 California state legislators who filed for re-election in 2022—21 Democrats and five Republicans—faced contested primaries, a decrease from the 37 incumbents in contested primaries in 2018 and 2020, but a larger number than in earlier cycles.

Looking at the chart above, 2010 was the last time California held partisan primaries where candidates from each party compete against one another to win their parties' nominations for the general election.

California began using top-two primaries in 2012, where every candidate, regardless of party affiliation, appears on the same ballot, and the top-two vote-getters advance to the general election.

While the number of incumbents in contested primaries increased after the switch in 2012, most ultimately advanced to the general election. As of 2022, only two state legislative incumbents had lost in a top-two primary in California: Assms. Tyler Diep (R) and William Brough (R) in 2020.

One reason for the decrease of incumbents in contested primaries in 2022 was the increase in open districts. Thirty-four of the state's 100 legislative districts holding elections in 2022 were open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. This was the largest number of open districts since 2012.

Open districts can exist for a number of reasons. An incumbent might choose to retire or seek another office. He or she might also be prohibited from running due to term limits. Open districts are also common after redistricting when incumbents might be drawn into a new district, leaving their old district open.

In 2022, there were 31 retiring incumbents: 20 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and one independent. Of that total, seven incumbents were term-limited, all in the Senate. The remaining three open districts were caused by incumbents running against other incumbents in Assembly Districts 34, 73, and 75.

Overall, 295 candidates filed to run in top-two state legislative primaries in 2022: 168 Democrats, 119 Republicans, and eight independent or third-party candidates.

Context of the 2022 elections

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

State party overview

Democratic Party of California

See also: Democratic Party of California

Republican Party of California

See also: Republican Party of California

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates.


Voter information

How the primary works

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.[3][4]

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 June 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[5]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.[6]

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.[7][8]

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.[7]

As of November 2024, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.[9]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[10] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number.[11][12] On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.[13]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“
  • Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents:
    • driver's license or identification card of any state;
    • passport;
    • employee identification card;
    • identification card provided by a commercial establishment;
    • credit or debit card;
    • military identification card;
    • student identification card;
    • health club identification card;
    • insurance plan identification card; or
    • public housing identification card.
  • Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…:
    • utility bill;
    • bank statement;
    • government check;
    • government paycheck;
    • document issued by a governmental agency;
    • sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity;
    • voter notification card issued by a governmental agency;
    • public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency;
    • lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency;
    • student identification card issued by a governmental agency;
    • tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency;
    • insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency;
    • discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter;
    • public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency;
    • identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies;
    • identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities;
    • drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency;
    • vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or
    • vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.[14]
 ”

Early voting

California permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting


California provides for universal, automatic mail-in voting in all elections. Local election officials automatically deliver mail-in ballots to all registered voters. Voters may also choose to cast their ballots in person.[15][16]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in California. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won California with 61.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 31.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, California voted Republican 53.33 percent of the time and Democratic 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, California voted Democratic all five times. In 2016, California had 55 electoral votes, which was the most of any state. The 55 electoral votes were 10.2 percent of all 538 available electoral votes and were 20.4 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in California. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[17][18]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 58 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 66 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 40.3 points. Clinton won 11 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 22 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 14 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 13 points.


See also

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
  3. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
  4. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
  5. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Section 3: Polling Place Hours," accessed August 12, 2024
  6. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed August 13, 2024
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 California Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed August 13, 2024
  8. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration)," accessed August 13, 2024
  9. ↑ SF.gov, "Non-citizen voting rights in local Board of Education elections," accessed November 14, 2024
  10. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  11. ↑ California Secretary of State, "What to Bring to Your Polling Place," accessed August 12, 2024
  12. ↑ BARCLAYS OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS, "Section 20107," accessed August 12, 2024
  13. ↑ Democracy Docket, "California Governor Signs Law to Ban Local Voter ID Requirements," September 30, 2024
  14. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  15. ↑ California Legislative Information, "Cal. Election Code § 3000.5," accessed August 13, 2024
  16. ↑ California Legislative Information, "AB-37 Elections: vote by mail ballots," accessed August 13, 2024
  17. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  18. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
v • e
Party primaries by state, 2022
Republican primaries, 2022
Democratic primaries, 2022
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