California’s 34th District House Race 2026

Several California congressional primaries pit establishment Democrats against insurgent challengers, a dynamic that could complicate Hakeem Jeffries' hold on House Democratic leadership if he seeks the speakership in a future majority. Under California's top-two primary system, some races feature Democrat-vs-Democrat matchups between incumbents and younger, further-left or anti-establishment rivals.

Rep. Mike Thompson faces venture capitalist Eric Jones, who says he wouldn't commit to backing Jeffries as speaker. Rep. Doris Matsui, who trailed in the June primary, faces progressive Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang, who has said she won't support Jeffries. In the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi, state Sen. Scott Wiener backs Jeffries while rival Connie Chan says any speaker candidate must "earn" her vote. Rep. Aisha Wahab, who already defied party leadership once, faces Melissa Hernandez in a rematch. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, under a House Ethics Committee investigation he denies, faces progressive challenger Angela Gonzales-Torres. Many challengers are aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, signaling a potential bloc of leadership skeptics if elected.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, and attorneys for one accuser are disputing his claim that his actions were "consensual." Lawyers Lisa Banks and Sarah Nesbitt said they represent a woman interviewed by the committee who alleges Gomez sexually harassed and assaulted her, calling it "the latest example of brazen sexual misconduct by a member of Congress." They said they expect the committee's investigation to reach the same conclusion and pledged to cooperate with the inquiry.

Gomez, a former campaign co-chair for ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell, acknowledged the investigation this week, saying his actions were "consensual in nature" and did not violate the law or House ethics rules, while admitting the situation had hurt people close to him and that he sought professional help. The case adds to a string of sexual misconduct controversies involving members of Congress and raises questions about potential consequences for Gomez's political future.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman, her challenger in the mayoral race, appeared separately at a South L.A. candidate forum, agreeing that the city's homelessness response needs an overhaul but diverging sharply on housing policy. Both candidates said the city should exit the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which has faced repeated audits over poor accounting despite spending nearly $830 million last fiscal year, and back a new city-run agency, mirroring a move the county already made. Both also support expanding unarmed crisis-response teams for non-emergency calls currently handled by police.

The candidates split on housing density and renter protections. Raman accused Bass of blocking denser development in wealthier neighborhoods, pushing new construction into poorer districts, and criticized Bass's temporary loosening of short-term rental rules ahead of the 2028 Olympics, warning it could displace long-term tenants. Bass defended development restrictions as necessary to prevent gentrification of Black and Latino communities. The two also differed on LAPD's handling of ICE-related protests and enforcement of a state law on federal agents masking during operations.

A growing rift within the Los Angeles left is playing out in the city's mayoral race, where Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialists of America member and City Council figure, is challenging incumbent Karen Bass. The dispute centers on housing: whether solving the city's affordability and homelessness crisis requires aggressively building more supply, or expanding public and affordable housing while restraining market-driven development. The debate reflects a broader tension inside the Democratic Party as democratic socialism gains visibility nationally, unsettling establishment figures even as progressive and YIMBY-aligned Democrats clash over strategy.

The fight mirrors disagreements playing out in other major cities over how progressives should approach zoning, entrepreneurship, and NIMBY resistance to new construction. For prediction markets, the race is a bellwether for how far left-leaning urban voters are willing to shift on economic policy, and whether democratic socialist candidates can translate national momentum into wins in a city grappling with high housing costs and a persistent homelessness crisis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a California law aimed at limiting federal involvement in the state's election administration, prompting a sharp rebuke from the U.S. Attorney General's office. The measure is framed by state officials as protecting California elections from outside interference, but critics, including commentators and Trump administration figures, argue it is designed to shield the state's vote-counting practices from federal fraud investigations.

The dispute comes amid broader Republican allegations of voter fraud in California, including claims involving noncitizen voting and irregularities in local races such as this year's Los Angeles mayoral primary. White House adviser Stephen Miller has said federal authorities are identifying growing numbers of fraudulent voter registrations nationally. Newsom and state Democrats defend the law as a democracy-protection measure, while opponents call it hypocritical given the state's Democratic-leaning redistricting and election procedures. The disagreement is expected to move toward a legal confrontation between California and federal authorities, adding to ongoing tension between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states over election oversight and integrity claims.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman faced off in a debate ahead of their runoff, sparring over homelessness and policing. Raman argued Bass has failed to make sufficient progress on homelessness despite her Inside Safe program, while Bass noted Raman recently chaired the council's housing committee. Bass also resurfaced Raman's 2020 "defund the police" social media post; Raman countered by criticizing Bass's support for a 2023 police pay raise. Bass led the June primary with 34% to Raman's 29%, but is viewed as a vulnerable incumbent heading into the runoff.

Separately, the LA City Council voted 10-3, with two abstentions, to repeal its anti-camping ordinance, amid debate over whether enforcement near schools helped or simply displaced unhoused residents and hindered outreach services. A new UC Berkeley poll also found California voters, especially younger ones, increasingly favorable toward progressive and democratic socialist candidates.

The Trump administration has warned California election officials that processing ballots cast by suspected noncitizen voters could expose them to criminal investigation and prosecution. A letter from acting deputy attorney general Trent McCotter called noncitizen voting a federal crime and said officials who knowingly facilitate it risk being treated as aiders and abettors. The DOJ sued California after it missed a 48-hour deadline to cross-check a federal list of roughly 20,000 flagged names; federal prosecutors have since charged 28 green-card holders across California, 11 arrested, saying all appeared on that list. Secretary of State Shirley Weber called the demand unprecedented and said officials provided too little information to verify names. Governor Newsom calls the suit voter suppression; the dispute looms over competitive California House races in the midterms.

The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to rule quickly on its bid to stop California from counting ballots cast by people on a federal list of more than 20,000 potential noncitizens. The request came after Secretary of State Shirley Weber and L.A. County registrar Dean Logan did not review the list on the DOJ's timeline; California's Attorney General Rob Bonta has moved to dismiss the suit, calling it legally weak. Federal officials separately charged 28 legal permanent residents with voter fraud-related offenses this week. In a related case, a federal judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security from using its own noncitizen-voter list, finding it unreliable. State audits show noncitizen voting is rare.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faces a tough reelection fight against city council member Nithya Raman, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Bass, who won just 34% in the June primary, is seeking a second term after a rough first stint marked by the Palisades Fire and rising homelessness. Raman, 45, represents a generational and ideological shift, echoing New York's election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, though she lacks major local endorsements compared to Bass's establishment backing from Newsom, Harris, and Pelosi. The candidates differ sharply on policing and homelessness, with turnout so far low amid broad voter disillusionment.

Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton met Wednesday, Sept. 30, in what is expected to be their only one-on-one debate before the Nov. 3 general election to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. CNN hosted the hour-long, prime-time debate in Los Angeles, with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating.

The two clashed over the state's direction, with cost of living emerging as the top issue for voters. Becerra, a former congressman, state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, pitched himself as the experienced choice, while Hilton, a Trump-endorsed former Fox News host, blamed Democratic leadership for California's high costs.

Polls show Becerra leading by wide margins, reflecting the state's heavily Democratic voter registration. The debate is seen as low-risk for Becerra but a make-or-break moment for Hilton, whose embrace of Trump's endorsement remains a liability with California voters. Becerra faces scrutiny over housing costs and unresolved homelessness under Democratic governance. No Republican has won the governorship since Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Hilton faces a steep climb in a state that hasn't elected one in 20 years.