Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · California's 26th District

2 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.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.

Jacqui Irwin
Democratic · Open seat
Sam Gallucci
Republican · Open seat

§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.
Jacqui IrwinSam Gallucci
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,3Republican1,3
StatusOpen seatOpen seat
Raised$1,170,990 through October 14, 20264$537,530 through October 14, 20265
Cash on hand$457,8114$18,8815
Outside spending$366,028 for · $0 against6Not found in the public sources we checked
HomelessnessHer campaign website says she helped secure $27 million in state Project Homekey funds for Thousand Oaks' first homeless housing facility and co-authored the Care Court law, which changes how local governments can step in to help people with mental illness who are living without shelter and unwilling to accept treatment voluntarily.7His campaign website calls for funding programs that combine detox, mental health care, transitional housing and job placement, tying federal homelessness funding to results such as moves into stable housing and finished treatment, and letting cities remove encampments while offering services.8

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.

Jacqui Irwin — 2 issues
  • State clean electricity targets
    Her campaign website says she supports accelerating renewable energy goals and planning.9
  • Red flag laws
    Her campaign website says that in the State Assembly she wrote several laws expanding the use of Gun Violence Restraining Orders, which law enforcement and families use to remove firearms from dangerous people, including letting the orders last up to five years.10,11
Sam Gallucci — 16 issues
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs
    His campaign website calls for ending federal funding for DEI and critical race theory programs in education.8
  • Cash bail and pretrial release
    Require bail or jail before trial for more charges
    His campaign website calls for banning cashless bail to end the immediate release of repeat violent offenders.8
  • Police funding
    Increase police funding, for example to hire more officers
    His campaign website calls for more resources for local policing, fentanyl interdiction and gang task forces.8
  • Transgender students in school sports
    Require teams based on sex at birth
    His campaign website says federal funding should be used against groups that allow athletes born male to compete in women's events.8
  • Stock trading by members of Congress
    His campaign website calls for banning stock trading by members of Congress.8
  • Permitting for energy projects
    His campaign website calls for streamlining permits for domestic energy production and power grid upgrades to lower utility bills.8
  • Wildfire prevention and forest management
    His campaign website calls for investing in wildfire fuel reduction, forest management and resilient power infrastructure.8
  • Child tax credit
    His campaign website calls for expanding child tax credits to make it easier to start a family.8
  • Food assistance (SNAP)
    His campaign website says he would defend SNAP and other critical social services while reining in wasteful spending.8
  • Drug prices compared with other countries
    His campaign website says he would lower prescription costs by offering direct-to-consumer and most-favored-nation pricing options.8
  • Zoning and new housing
    His campaign website calls for incentives for building homes near jobs and transit and for streamlining federal regulations that it says delay construction and raise its cost.8
  • Immigration enforcement inside the country
    His campaign website says he supports funding the mass removal of immigrants here illegally who have committed crimes, prioritizing deportation of violent offenders, and creating case-managed off-ramps for people with deep community ties.8
  • Legal immigration levels
    His campaign website calls for streamlining work permits in fields with labor shortages so employers can fill jobs.8
  • Business tax breaks
    His campaign website says he supports tax relief, simpler taxes and fewer regulations for small businesses.8
  • Federal spending levels
    His campaign website says he would rein in wasteful spending that it says fuels inflation.8
  • Private care for veterans
    His campaign website says he would cut VA wait times by giving veterans access to care where they are and would expand mental health support.8

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