Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · California's 12th District

2 candidates on the ballot.1

How this race is decided: Under California's top-two system, only the two candidates who received the most votes in the June 2, 2026, primary, regardless of party preference, appear on this general-election ballot.1,2

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Jamie Joyce
Democratic · Challenger
Lateefah Simon
Democratic · Incumbent
Currently represents California's 12th District in the U.S. House.

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

Scroll sideways on small screens. Select a name for the full page.
Jamie JoyceLateefah Simon
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,3Democratic1
StatusChallengerIncumbent4
Raised$69,669 through October 14, 20265$1,703,906 through October 14, 20266
Cash on hand$5,2585$725,7576
Outside spendingNot found in the public sources we checked$111,599 for · $0 against7
Campaign finance rulesThe MAD Act's website says the bill would require groups spending more than $10,000 on campaign activity to disclose their significant donors, require political ads to name their top funders, and extend disclosure to spending on federal judicial nominations.8,9,10Her campaign website says she would work to reduce the influence of money in politics by eliminating secret corporate spending in elections.11
Ranked-choice votingThe MAD Act's website says the bill would let states choose ranked-choice or STAR voting voluntarily and provide $1 billion over five years in grants to states and localities that adopt them.9,12
Use ranked-choice voting in more elections
Her campaign website says she supports ranked-choice voting.11

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Jamie Joyce — 8 issues
  • National Guard troops in cities
    Don't use troops for local policing, and limit the president's power to send them
    The MAD Act's website says the bill would end a president's authority to deploy the military at home under the Insurrection Act after 7 days unless Congress votes to extend it, and would bar deployments in response to peaceful protests, ordinary crime that police can handle, or political disagreement.9
  • Data centers and electricity costs
    The MAD Act's website says the bill would require large AI data centers to report their water and power use publicly and would halt new AI data center construction if Congress misses its deadline to legislate on AI.9,13
  • Military aid to Israel
    Her campaign website says she supports Israel's right to exist but calls for blocking bomb shipments, letting humanitarian aid into Gaza and ending the famine there.10
  • Immigration enforcement inside the country
    The MAD Act's website says the bill would not abolish ICE but would take ICE and Border Patrol officers without extensive new training off enforcement in populated areas and stop any expansion of immigration detention for five years.9,14
  • Masks and identification for immigration officers
    The MAD Act's website says the bill would require ICE agents to display their badge numbers, agency and insignia at all times and to keep body cameras on for the whole of every encounter.9
  • Data privacy
    Her campaign website says the MAD Act would dismantle the surveillance state; the bill's website says it would require data brokers to destroy their files on Americans, ban psychological profiling of individuals, and bar government agencies from buying commercial data on Americans instead of getting a warrant, subpoena or consent.9,10,15
  • Rules for artificial intelligence
    Her campaign website says she wrote the AI section of the MAD Act, which would put some AI uses off-limits immediately, create a federal review of AI's effects in 19 areas that produces draft legislation, and pause new frontier AI training and data center construction if Congress misses its deadline to act.9,10,13
  • State AI laws
    Set national rules as a minimum and let states add stronger ones
    The MAD Act's website says the bill sets a federal floor for AI protections and keeps state and local laws that give equal or greater protection.13
Lateefah Simon — 29 issues
  • Birth control and IVF
    Guarantee access to both in federal law, including insurance coverage for IVF
    Her campaign website says she would write into federal law the right to reproductive health care, protecting access to contraception and IVF across the United States.16
  • Who sets abortion law
    A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
    Her campaign website says she would work to write into federal law every American's right to reproductive health care, including abortion, and to guarantee access to safe and legal abortion for every woman regardless of where she lives.16,17
  • Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
    Pass broad protections such as the Equality Act
    Her campaign website says she supports protecting LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV from discrimination at work, at school and in public places, and writing the rights of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people into law.18
  • Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices
    Pass a law setting a binding ethics code, with outside review of complaints and recusal decisions
    Her campaign website says she would help impose an enforceable code of conduct on the Supreme Court, with limits on gifts and requirements for disclosure and recusal.11
  • Number of Supreme Court justices
    Add justices to the court
    Her campaign website says she supports expanding the number of Supreme Court justices and creating new federal judgeships.11
  • Supreme Court term limits
    Set fixed terms, such as 18 years
    Her campaign website says she supports term limits for Supreme Court justices.11
  • Voting Rights Act protections
    Restore and widen protections by law, such as federal approval of voting changes in places with a history of discrimination (for example, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act)
    Her campaign website says she supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and automatic voter registration.11
  • Death penalty
    Abolish it
    Her campaign website says she would support legislation to end the federal death penalty and require resentencing of people now on death row.19
  • Cryptocurrency rules
    Her campaign website says she wants clear regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrency, AI and blockchain that support technological progress and protect consumers.20
  • Small business loans and programs
    Her campaign website lists among her accomplishments passing three bipartisan House bills aimed at expanding opportunities for small businesses in the East Bay.21
  • Union organizing rules
    Her campaign website says she would enact comprehensive labor law reforms to ensure collective bargaining for all workers.22
  • Drawing district lines (redistricting)
    Her campaign website says she supports ending partisan gerrymandering.11
  • Stock trading by members of Congress
    Ban members themselves from trading individual stocks
    Her campaign website says she supports banning members of Congress and federal judges from trading and owning stocks.11
  • Clean energy tax credits
    Her campaign website says she would build on the Inflation Reduction Act, pass the Green New Deal and provide more tax incentives for energy-efficient appliances in low- and middle-income homes.23
  • Permitting for energy projects
    Her campaign website says she would streamline permitting for energy transmission lines to speed clean energy development.23
  • Child care costs
    Her campaign website says she would work for affordable, high-quality child care and pre-K, along with long-term care and paid leave.24
  • Child tax credit
    Her campaign website says she would restore the Child Tax Credit and expand it to provide up to $6,000 in tax cuts to families with newborn children.24
  • Paid family and medical leave
    Create a national paid leave program for all workers
    Her campaign website says she would establish a 12-week paid federal family and medical leave program.22
  • Military spending
    Cut military spending
    Her campaign website says she would work to cut defense spending and redirect the money to health care, education and housing.25
  • Health insurance system
    Her campaign website says she would advocate for a public option and ultimately work toward an affordable single-payer health system.16
  • Medicaid expansion
    Her campaign website says she would close the Medicaid coverage gap.16
  • Help for first-time homebuyers
    Her campaign website says she supports a plan announced by Kamala Harris as vice president to build 3 million homes, assist first-time home buyers and encourage local governments to remove barriers to construction.26
  • Homelessness
    Her campaign website says she would use federal funds to turn empty government buildings into emergency shelters, build more transitional housing in the East Bay and pursue funding for permanent supportive housing for all homeless residents of the district.26,27
  • Legal immigration levels
    Her campaign website says she would expand legal pathways to work authorization and citizenship and end backlogs that lengthen waits for asylum applicants and employment-based immigration.28
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    Her campaign website says DACA should be written into law and that Dreamers should have a pathway to citizenship.28
  • Highway and transit funding
    Shift more money to public transit, walking and biking
    Her campaign website says she would work to end the split that gives 80% of transportation funding to highways and 20% to transit, and increase funding for transit infrastructure.29
  • Medicare dental, vision and hearing coverage
    Add dental, vision and hearing coverage to traditional Medicare
    Her campaign website says she would expand Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing coverage and lower the Medicare eligibility age.16
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    Expand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance
    Her campaign website says she would expand Medicare drug price negotiation to cover all drugs.16
  • High-speed internet access
    Her campaign website says she would expand affordable internet access.20

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.