RAFU STAFF REPORT
Several AAPI candidates were on the Nov. 3 ballot for California congressional districts. Following are some of the results as of Nov. 7.
3rd Congressional District: Rep. Ami Bera (D-Sacramento) had 120,081 votes (57.96%) to Republican Robb Tucker’s 87,087 (42.04%). Bera, a physician, has served in Congress since 2013.
5th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Modesto) defeated his Democratic challenger, Michael Masuda, 122,601 votes (56.36%) to 94,932 (43.64%). Masuda is an engineer and a former foreign affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State. The district includes Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Mono counties.
6th Congressional District: Democrat Richard Pan unseated incumbent Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Rocklin), 108,065 votes (58.61%) to 76,313 (41.39%). Kiley left the Republican Party and became an independent after Proposition 50 redrew his 3rd Congressional District. Pan is a pediatrician and a former state senator. The district covers parts of Sacramento County and Placer County, including Roseville, Citrus Heights, West Sacramento, and parts of north and east Sacramento.
7th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) survived a serious challenge by a fellow Asian American Democrat, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, a Hmong American, 97,765 votes (55.66%) to 77,894 (44.34%). Vang finished ahead of Matsui in the June primary. Matsui, who has been in office since she succeeded her late husband Rep. Robert Matsui in 2005, was supported by the California and Sacramento County Democratic parties while Vang was endorsed by progressive groups such as Sacramento County Young Democrats and Women Democrats of Sacramento County.
11th Congressional District: In a battle between two Democrats, State Sen. Scott Wiener defeated San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, 142,519 votes (54.04%) to 121,206 (45.96%). The district, which includes all of San Francisco, has been represented for decades by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed Chan. During the campaign, Wiener launched an AI chatbot parody of Chan that was widely condemned as racist and sexist. He apologized and took the site down.
17th Congressional District: In a race between two Indian American candidates, incumbent Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Santa Clara) defeated Republican Ritesh Tandon, an entrepreneur, 97,601 votes (71.22%) to 39,442 (28.78%). Khanna has represented the district, which includes parts of Santa Clara County and Alameda County, since 2017 after defeating eight-term incumbent Mike Honda, a fellow Democrat.
20th Congressional District: Incumbent Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) defeated Democratic challenger Sandra Van Scotter, 104,338 votes (61.87%) to 64,310 (38.13%). Previously a member of the State Assembly, Fong has served in Congress since 2024. The district includes parts of Kern, Tulare, Kings, and Fresno counties.
28th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) defeated Republican challenger April Verlato, 161,468 votes (69.91%) to 69,484 (30.09%). Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, has served since 2009 and was previously mayor of Monterey Park, a member of the State Assembly, and a member of the State Board of Equalization. She is chair emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The district includes Alhambra, Arcadia, Glendora, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Temple City, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, San Marino, and Sierra Madre.
31st Congressional District: Incumbent Gil Cisneros (D-Covina) defeated Republican challenger Eric Ching, former mayor of Walnut, 137,481 votes (65.57%) to 72,193 (34.43%).
36th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) defeated Republican challenger Houston Brignano, 198,808 votes (72.4%) to 75,784 (27.6%). In office since 2015, Lieu previously served in the State Assembly and State Senate. The district includes Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Hermosa Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Venice, Play del Rey, Palms, Westwood Village, West Los Angeles, Mar Vista, and Westchester.
39th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) defeated Republican challenger Steve Mano, 69,886 votes (66.61%) to 35,038 (33.39%). In office since 2013, Takano became the first gay person of Asian descent in Congress. He previously served on the Riverside Community College Board of Trustees. The district includes Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, and Perris.
40th Congressional District: In a battle between two incumbents forced into the same district by redistricting, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) was ahead of Rep. Young Kim (R-Mission Viejo), 88,111 votes (53.93%) to 75,282 (46.07%). Both touted being the most pro-Trump candidate in the race, but the Republican Party of Orange County didn’t endorse either. Kim’s endorsers included the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association and Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs. Calvert was backed by the Republican Party of Riverside County and gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. Previously a member of the State Assembly, Kim became one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress along with Republican Michelle Steel of California and Democrat Marilyn Strickland of Washington in 2020.
The district encompasses Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Orange, Chino Hills, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Villa Park, Lake Forest, North Tustin, and Brea.
45th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Derek Tran (D-Cypress) defeated Republican challenger Chuong Vo, former mayor of Cerritos and retired law enforcement officer, 131,261 votes (60.24%) to 86,632 (39.76%). In 2024, Tran, a son of Vietnamese refugees, became the first Vietnamese American to represent the area in Congress after edging out incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel. a Republican and a Korean immigrant. The district, which covers parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, includes Garden Grove, Westminster, Buena Park, Placentia, Hawaiian Gardens, Fountain Valley, Artesia, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, and La Palma.
46th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) defeated Republican challenger David Pan, a son of immigrants from Taiwan and a professor of German at UC Irvine, 113,317 votes (70%) to 48,564 (30%).
47th Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Dave Min (D-Costa Mesa) defeated Republican challenger Jennie Rae Le Roux, 143,846 votes (57.77%) to 105,165 (42.23%). Min, a son of South Korean immigrants, was an assistant law professor at UC Irvine and served in the State Senate before being elected to Congress in 2024. The district includes Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Seal Beach.