Californiaâs congressional candidates are fighting on all fronts â Republicans versus Republicans, Dems on Dems, red against blue and old versus young.
Money and accusations have been flying for months, and control of the House of Representatives hangs in the balance as voters prepare to have their say in Tuesdayâs election.
Here are eight key California races to watch.
San Francisco: Connie Chan (D) vs. Scott Wiener (D)
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has endorsed her preferred successor, but San Franciscans will have the final say.
Pelosi is backing Supervisor Connie Chan, a labor ally who stresses tenant protections and public housing. Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party is backing Sen. Scott Wiener, who made his name in Sacramento pushing for more housing and LGBTQ+ protections.
At the epicenter of the tech revolution, San Franciscoâs next congressional representative will have an important voice in shaping the conversation on how to regulate AI.
An advocacy group backed by AI giant Anthropic has funneled $3.5 million into a super PAC supporting Wiener â though Anthropic says its donations were restricted to education and policy work, and the group says it used other donorsâ money to back Wiener.
Central Valley: Rep. David Valadao (R) vs. Randy Villegas (D)
Republican Rep. David Valadao has repeatedly survived Democratic challenges by focusing on farm-country issues and keeping some distance from President Donald Trump.
He voted to impeach the president after Jan. 6, but his vote for Trumpâs âOne Big Beautiful Billâ gave progressive Democratic challenger Randy Villegas a potent opening. Roughly six in 10 district residents rely on Medicaid, and the law cuts projected federal spending on the program.
Valadao is a dairy farmer, while Villegas teaches political science at College of the Sequoias, the same community college Valadao attended. Villegas, the son of Mexican immigrants, grew up relying on public assistance and now champions Medicare for All.
The 22nd Congressional District was redrawn after voters passed Proposition 50 in 2025, giving Democrats another shot at a seat Valadao has repeatedly managed to retain.
Orange CountyâInland Empire: Rep. Ken Calvert (R) vs. Rep. Young Kim (R)
California Democrats redrew the congressional map â and left Republican Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim fighting for the same seat in a game of musical chairs.
The two incumbents are battling for the 40th District, spanning parts of Orange and Riverside counties.
Calvert was endorsed by Trump and has campaigned as the dependable conservative, defending the presidentâs immigration crackdown while pushing for federal policies to expand oil and gas production and lower costs. Kim, a South Korean-born former businesswoman and state assemblymember who entered Congress in 2021, offers a more moderate GOP brand.
The nasty race has included old headlines about a sex scandal for Calvert, while Kim was forced to donate campaign funds from a Chinese businessman under FBI investigation.
Immigration may be the deciding factor, as Kim backs the bipartisan Dignity Act, pairing stronger border enforcement with legal status for certain undocumented immigrants.
Sacramento suburbs: Rep. Kevin Kiley (I) vs. Richard Pan (D)
Kevin Kiley changed his party registration from Republican to independent, but Richard Panâs campaign says Kiley voted with Trump 98% of the time.
Pan, a former Democratic state senator, is hoping the newly redrawn district â spanning parts of Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties â tilts in his favor.
Their governing philosophies collide most clearly on health care. Pan authored Californiaâs strict school vaccination laws. Kiley has opposed mandates, arguing pandemic restrictions damaged public trust. Pan also supported expanding Medi-Cal to undocumented immigrants.
Pan’s campaign came under fire after barring local reporters from an event featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Wine Country: Rep. Mike Thompson (D) vs. Eric Jones (D)
Rep. Mike Thompson is facing a fellow Democrat in Eric Jones who wants Washington to stop rewarding longevity.
Thompson, 75, is a Vietnam veteran and senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. Jones, 35, is a former venture capitalist selling sweeping change across a district stretching from wine country into the Sacramento Valley.
Jones proposes eliminating federal income tax on the first $150,000 earned and imposing 12-year congressional term limits. He has rejected corporate PAC donations, although his campaign relies heavily on family wealth.
The race may hinge on whether voters are ready for change or prioritize someone with more institutional knowledge.
Sacramento: Rep. Doris Matsui (D) vs. Mai Vang (D)
Doris Matsui is a moderate Democrat and one of the oldest members of Congress at age 82, while her far-left challenger Mai Vang has focused on fighting Trump on all fronts, particularly immigration.
Matsui succeeded her late husband, Robert, in 2005 and points to semiconductor legislation and more than $4 billion in flood-prevention funding as proof of her effectiveness. She was accused of propping up a GOP candidate in the primary to coast to reelection.
Vang, a Sacramento councilmember and daughter of Hmong refugees, grew up the eldest of 16 children. Her platform includes Medicare for All, stronger assistance for working families and a more confrontational approach to entrenched power.
Vang has made headlines for turning her back on the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance at Sacramento City Council meetings, and her recent events with streamer Hasan Piker are evidence of the generational divide between the two Democrats.
Los Angeles: Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D) vs. Angela Gonzales-Torres (D)
Rep. Jimmy Gomez is fighting a challenger to his left â and an ethics cloud hanging over his reelection.
The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, including inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer. Gomez denies wrongdoing, saying his actions were consensual and violated neither the law nor House rules.
Angela Gonzales-Torres, a former Highland Park Neighborhood Council member backed by Justice Democrats and the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, is campaigning on Medicare for All, free child care and abolishing ICE.
Their differences include U.S. support for Israel and Gomezâs acceptance of pro-Israel political backing.
Central Valley: Rep. Adam Gray (D) vs. Kevin Lincoln (R)
Adam Gray knows the difference between a seat in Congress and a concession speech: 187 votes. That was the Democratâs winning margin in 2024.
But he faces a tough challenge from former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, a Republican and Marine veteran who is trying to send Gray home after just one term. Republican-aligned groups have poured millions into the contest despite redistricting that improved the Democratâs position.
Lincoln, who was endorsed by Trump, has focused on Grayâs support for Californiaâs 2017 gas-tax increase while also promising lower costs, stronger border security and greater support for law enforcement. Gray has emphasized bipartisan work on water, agriculture and health care, with an endorsement from the California Farm Bureau bolstering his pitch.
