California’s candidates for the 2018 midterm elections (Part 1)

California has been a blue state for the past few decades, and is unlikely to change during the midterm elections. It has the most congressional districts (53) and the delegation currently includes 39 Democrats and 14 Republicans, with many of the incumbents seeking re-election.

Important dates and deadlines

California voters must be registered by or before Oct. 22.

Absentee ballots and vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before election day and must be received by voters’ respective county elections official by Nov. 9.

Election Day is Nov. 6.

Overall Predictions on California Races

The Los Angeles Times named California as “one of the main battlefields” for Democrats to gain control of the House. Trump’s unpopularity among Americans’ opinion have caused a surge of voter hostility toward Republicans, especially in California. According to the Times, the Republican Party is now “badly diminished” after being on the decline throughout the past decades.

FiveThirtyEight rates California as a solid Democratic state and Dianne Feinstein has a 99.5 percent chance of winning the 2018 midterm elections. However, there are congressional districts that are predicted to elect a U.S. representative from the Republican Party: District 4 and District 8.

California’s candidates for the 2018 Midterm

Who is running for U.S. Senate?

Source: FiveThirtyEight

The current members of the U.S. Senate from California are both from the Democratic Party. The Republican Party does not have a candidate running for the seat.

Dianne Feinstein (D)

Democrat Dianne Feinstein is the five-term incumbent U.S. senator for Arizona and is running for re-election.

Feinstein was first elected to the Senate during 1992 and has continue to serve in the position to the present day. Prior to becoming a U.S. senator, Feinstein served as mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988. Throughout the past few decades, Feinstein has introduced several bills that were signed into law.

Feinstein’s campaign website key issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Maintaining California’s status as a worldwide agriculture leader
• Combating international narcotics trafficking and domestic drug abuse
• Comprehensive tax reform
• Universal access to early childhood education
• Supports the Affordable Care Act
• Supports abortion rights
• Safeguarding communities
• Championing marriage equality
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Supporting U.S. veterans

Kevin de Léon (D)

Democrat Kevin de Léon is the incumbent California State Senate District 24 representative. Due to term limits, de Léon is not running for re-election to the State Senate and is seeking election to the U.S. Senate instead.

During his time as a state representative, de Léon was also the California State Senate president pro tempore between 2014 and 2018. De Léon is the first Latino to lead the Senate throughout the past century. Prior to becoming involved with politics, he was a community organizer, having taught English as a Second Language and advocating for public schools.

De Léon’s campaign website lists the following stances among others:

• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Developing California’s clean energy economy
• Raising minimum wage to $15 per hour
• Passing Medicare-for-All
• Investing in infrastructure
• Supports abortion rights, preserving federal funding for family planning and reproductive health care
• Supports gun regulations

Who is running for Governor Elections?

Gavin Newsom (D)

Democrat Gavin Newsom is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor of California. He is seeking election to become Governor of California.

Prior to running for governor, Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010. He was then elected as lieutenant governor in 2010, and he continues to serve in the position to the present day. Newsom is known for authorizing same-sex marriage a month after former President George W. Bush stated his opposition to same-sex marriages in 2004.

Newsom’s campaign website issues pages list the following stances among others:

• Defending California’s immigrant communities
• Supports gun regulation
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Supports the Affordable Care Act, universal health care
• Supports abortion rights, increase funding for Planned Parenthood
• Empowering women, LGBTQ communities and communities of color
• Affordable housing
• Prioritizing education
• Economic justice
• Addressing homelessness

John Cox (R)

Republican John Cox is running for the seat of governor of California.

Cox describes himself as “a businessman, not a politician.” Prior to running for governor, Cox founded and developed several business dealing with law, accounting and real estate. Cox’s political career began when he ran for a delegate position at the Democratic Convention during 1976. He also ran to represent Illinois in 2000 and 2002 as well as for U.S. president during the 2008 election.

Cox’s campaign website policy agenda page lists the following stances among others:

• Repeal new vehicle license and gas tax increase
• Supports clean energy efforts, opposes offshore oil drilling
• Supports charter schools, personalized education syllabus systems
• Affordable housing
• Opposes sanctuary states
• Securing U.S. borders
• Investing in transit projects

The rundown on 2018’s U.S. House of Representatives candidates

Source: 270towin

District 1

Doug LaMalfa (R)

Republican Doug LaMalfa is the incumbent representative for California’s 1st Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

LaMalfa was first elected as a U.S. Representative in 2013 and continues to serve to the present day. Prior to that, he was part of the California State Senate from 2010 to 2012 and the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008. GovTrack ranks LaMalfa as the most conservative among the members of California’s State Congress.

LaMalfa’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Protecting and building water storage projects
• Passing tax cuts
• Opposes gun regulation, endorsed by the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America
• Cutting off foreign aid
• Opposes sanctuary cities
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Opposes the Affordable Care Act
• Supports Medicare and Social Security

Audrey Denney (D)

Democrat Audrey Denney is seeking to represent California’s 1st Congressional District.

Prior to seeking election, Denney was an agriculture lecturer at California State University from 2009 to 2014. She was also on the board of directors for Cristosal, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Central America.

Denney’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Protecting and expanding both Social Security and Medicare
• Investing in teachers and schools
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Investing in agriculture and supporting farmers and ranchers
• Securing federal funding for California’s highway and water infrastructure
• Tax reform
• Supports gun regulation
• Increasing minimum wage
• Passing the DREAM Act
• Reforming immigration system, simplify and streamline work visas
• Funding domestic military bases

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

Democrat Jared Huffman is the incumbent representative for California’s 2nd Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Huffman was previously a part of the California State Assembly and represented District 6 from 2006 to 2012. He then went on to be elected as a U.S. Representative and continues to serve to the present day. According to GovTrack, Huffman has a 100 percent rating from several advocacy organizations including American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign.

Huffman’s campaign website and government website do not state his stance.

Dale Mensing (R)

Republican Dale Mensing is seeking to represent California’s 2nd Congressional District.

Prior to running for the U.S. House, Mensing served in the U.S. Navy as a neuro-psychiatric technician from 1979 to 1983. He had previously ran for the same seat during 2014 and 2016.

Mensing’s campaign website lists the following stances among others:

• Redirecting federal funds
• Investing in school facilities
• Stationing armed security officers in all public schools

District 3

John Garamendi (D)

Democrat John Garamendi is the incumbent representative for California’s 3rd Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Garamendi’s political career began in 1974 when he served as a member of the California State Assembly until 1976 when he was elected to the California State Senate. He was then elected Lieutenant Governor of California from 2007 to 2009 and later as a representative for California’s 10th Congressional District from 2009 to 2013 before being elected as the representative for California’s 3rd Congressional District where he continues to serve to the present day.

Garamendi’s campaign website issues page and government website issues page list the following stances among others:

• Investing in infrastructure
• Protecting the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
• Developing the U.S. as a leader for human rights and individual liberty
• Opposes discrimination
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Supporting American manufacturing
• Comprehensive immigration reform, supports DREAMers and citizenship for DACA-eligible immigrants
• Supports abortion rights
• Equal pay for equal work

Charlie Schaupp (R)

Republican Charlie Schaupp is seeking to represent California’s 3rd Congressional District.

Prior to becoming involved with politics, Schaupp served 28 years with the U.S. Marine Corps and retired as lieutenant colonel. He is also an Iraq War veteran. Schaupp had ran to represent California State Assembly District 4 twice in 2014 and 2016.

Schaupp’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Reinstating fiscal responsibility in Washington D.C.
• Protecting California’s forests and open areas

District 4

Source: FiveThirtyEight

Tom McClintock (R)

Republican Tom McClintock is the incumbent representative for California’s 4th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

McClintock’s political career began when he served as a member of the California State Assembly between 1982 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2000. He went on to serve as part of the California State Senate until 2008 when he was elected to the U.S. House and continues to serve in the seat to the present day.

McClintock’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Fiscal reform
• Strict enforcement of current U.S. immigration law
• Reducing tax and regulatory burdens on the economy
• Restoring management to federal forests
• Opposes the Affordable Care Act
• Restoring highway taxes
• Opposes gun regulation

Jessica Morse (D)

Democrat Jessica Morse is seeking to represent California’s 4th Congressional District.

Prior to running for the U.S. House, Morse worked as a national security strategist for more than a decade. According to Morse’ campaign website, she has experience in federal budgets, promoting global stability and has served with U.S. troops in Baghdad.

Morse’s campaign website priorities page lists the following stances among others:

• Affordable housing
• Universal access to health care, expanding the Affordable Care Act
• Utilizing renewable sources like solar energy
• Tax reform
• Lowering healthcare costs

District 5

Mike Thompson (D)

Democrat Mike Thompson is the incumbent representative for California’s 5th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Thompson began his political career as part of the California State Senate in 1990 and was elected to the U.S. House to represent California’s 1st Congressional District from 1999 to 2013. Thompson became the representative for California’s 5th Congressional District in 2013 and continues to serve in the position to the present day.

Thompson’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (one of California’s prominent water and ecological resources)
• Reinstating fiscal responsibilities
• Expanding the Affordable Care Act, Social Security and Medicare
• Affordable housing
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Investing in infrastructure
• Utilizing clean and renewable energy
• Gun regulation

Anthony Mills

Independent Anthony Mills is seeking to represent California’s 5th Congressional District.

Anthony Mills’ profile on Voter’s Edge lists the following stances among others:

• Campaign reform
• Agriculture subsidies
• Addressing the National Debt

District 6

Doris Matsui (D)

Democrat Doris Matsui is the incumbent representative for California’s 6th Congressional District. She is running for re-election.

Matsui was first elected to the House when she became the U.S. Representative for California’s 5th Congressional District from 2005 to 2013. She was then elected to represent California’s 6th Congressional District where she continues to serve to the present day. According to Matsui’s government website, she has been involved in various organizations including being the co-chair of the Congressional High Tech Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and chaired the Democratic Women’s Working Group.

Matsui’s campaign website issues pages list the following stances among others:

• Developing transportation infrastructure
• Investing in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education
• Universal access to education
• Developing legislation to allow student loan borrowers to refinance their loans at more affordable rates
• Utilizing clean energy sources
• Prioritizing flood protection projects
• Supports the Affordable Care Act
• Raising the national minimum wage to $10.10 per hour
• Equal pay for equal work

Jrmar Jefferson (D)

Democrat Jrmar Jefferson is seeking to represent California’s 6th Congressional District.

Jefferson does not have a campaign website, but The Sacramento Bee Voter Guide lists the following stances among others:

• Opposes gun regulation, develop education in weapon training
• Supports creating a flat tax and consumption tax
• Legalizing marijuana

District 7

Ami Bera (D)

Democrat Ami Bera is the incumbent representative for California’s 7th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Bera was first elected to the House as a U.S. representative in 2012 and continues to serve in the position to the present day. Bera has practiced medicine for 20 years in the Sacramento area. He is also the founder and Chair of the California Public Higher Education Caucus. Bera is the longest-serving Indian American in Congress.

Bera’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Universal health care
• Equal pay for equal work
• Protecting Social Security and Medicare
• Utilizing natural resources through environmentally and economically sustainable methods
• Investing in education
• Opposes offshore drilling along California coast
• Tax reform
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Supports abortion rights

Andrew Grant (R)

Republican Andrew Grant is seeking to represent California’s 7th Congressional District.

Prior to running for election, Grant was a former intelligence officer who served in combat as a Marine. He later became the CEO of the Northern California World Trade Center and has experience with expanding international trade opportunities.

Grant’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Supports repealing the California Gas Tax
• Developing a national infrastructure plan
• Government reform
• Increasing military budget
• Supports U.S. veterans
• Improving border security and customs, expanding vetting of foreign visitors
• Reform the National Flood Insurance Program

District 8

Paul Cook (R)

Republican Paul Cook is the incumbent representative for California’s 8th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Cook was elected into the California State Assembly and served as a member between 2006 and 2012. He was ineligible to run for re-election to the state assembly due to term limits. Cook was then elected as a U.S. representative and has continued to serve in the position the the present day.

Cook’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Simplified tax code, reduce tax burden
• Tax cuts
• Opposes sanctuary cities and states
• Increasing military funding
• Supports Trump’s Muslim ban (Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States)
• Supporting U.S. veterans
• Opposes gun regulation, member of the National Rifle Association
• Anti-abortion, opposes funding for Planned Parenthood
• Supports building a wall along U.S. borders
• Opposes the Affordable Care Act
• Personalized education syllabus systems

Tim Donnelly (R)

Republican Tim Donnelly is seeking to represent California’s 8th Congressional District.

Donnelly was the representative of District 33 for the California State Assembly from 2010 to 2014. He also ran for governor of California in 2014 and ran to represent the 8th Congressional District of California in 2016.

Donnelly’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Supports building a wall along U.S. borders
• Enforcing U.S. immigration laws
• Opposes the Affordable Care Act
• Anti-abortion, opposes funding for Planned Parenthood
• Supports U.S. veterans
• Supports Trump’s Muslim ban
• Government reform
• Personalized education syllabus systems

District 9

Jerry McNerney (D)

Democrat Jerry McNerney is the incumbent representative for California’s 9th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

McNerney was first sworn into office during 2007 and continues to serve in the position to the present day. He originally represented California’s 11th Congressional District from 2007 to 2013 but was displaced when California went through redistricting in 2012.

McNerney’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Investing in agriculture
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Addressing the U.S. federal deficit
• Opposes outsourcing local jobs
• Supports tax cuts
• Increasing funding for education
• Making college education more affordable, decreasing student loan interest rates
• Utilizing and developing renewable energy sources
• Conserving and enhancing natural resources
• Protecting and expanding Social Security and Medicare
• Developing transportation infrastructure
• Supports U.S. veterans
• Protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Marla Livengood (R)

Republican Marla Livengood is seeking to represent California’s 9th Congressional District.

Livengood is currently the Regulatory Affairs Manager for the California Strawberry Commission. Prior to that, Livengood has also served in roles focusing on transportation, economic development and job creation.

Livengood’s campaign website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Cutting taxes
• Protecting American children
• Opposes regulations on California’s agriculture industry

District 10

Jeff Denham (R)

Republican Jeff Denham is the incumbent representative for California’s 10th Congressional District. He is running for re-election.

Denham’s political career began as a member of the California State Senate from 2002 to 2010. He was then elected to the House in 2010 and has continued to serve as a U.S. Representative to the present day. Denham was the first House Republican to publicly state his support for an immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013. The Washington Post at the time called him a “political outlier.”

Denham’s government website issues page lists the following stances among others:

• Developing California’s agriculture industry
• Increasing military funding
• Supports personalized education syllabus systems
• Promotes alternative energy sources
• Supports the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline energy project (a crude oil pipeline which will begin at Alberta and extend to Nebraska
• Supports developing the relationship between the U.S. and Israel
• Strengthening free trade agreements with U.S. allies
• Downsizing the government
• Opposes the Affordable Care Act
• Defend funding for homeless and runaway youth programs
• Addressing human trafficking
• Reforming immigration system
• Developing transportation infrastructure
• Supports U.S. veterans
• Local control of water resources

Josh Harder (D)

Democrat Josh Harder is seeking to represent the 10th Congressional District of California.

The 2018 midterms will be Harder’s first political experience. Harder currently teaches business at Modesto Junior College.

Harder’s campaign website priorities page lists the following stances among others:

• Supports expanding the Affordable Care Act and Medicare
• Prioritizing DREAMers and immigration
• Comprehensive immigration reform
• Developing California’s agricultural economy
• Investing in water efficiency and building water storages
• Ending Citizens United and institute electoral reform
• Supports abortion rights
• Equal work for equal pay
• Increase funding for education, making college more affordable
• Gun regulations
• Supports U.S. veterans
• Implement homeless programs
• Affordable housing

Due to California’s total number of candidates, California’s list will be separated into several posts.