Election 2026 California House

Michael Stansfield never expected to be a major player in California politics when he threw his hat into a congressional race as a Republican agitating for peace in the Middle East. Now he's doing well enough in Tuesday's voting to risk shutting Democrats out of a seat they'd expected to win in November. It could be days or weeks before it's known which top-two finishers will advance to the general election in the state's 6th Congressional District. But Stansfield is outpacing the Democrats so far with the district's former Republican congressman, now an independent, in the lead. The outstanding ballots are expected to lean Democratic.

California’s most prominent congressional elections for this fall’s midterms are now set, with two districts in particular ready to test Democrats’ redrawn U.S. House map. In the Central Valley, the state’s agricultural center, Democrat Randy Villegas will challenge Republican Rep. David Valadao, who is considered one of the most endangered Republicans this fall. In a Sacramento-area seat, former Democratic state lawmaker Richard Pan will face Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP and became an independent to run in a newly drawn district. In other races set Tuesday, two Democrats will face off for a seat representing Sacramento while two Republicans will challenge each other in a Southern California district.