Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · California's 36th 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.

Ted W. Lieu

Democratic · Incumbent

Currently represents California's 36th District in the U.S. House.

Houston Brignano

Republican · Challenger

§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.
Fact	Ted W. Lieu	Houston Brignano
Party on the ballot	Democratic^1,3	Republican¹
Status	Incumbent⁴	Challenger
Raised	$2,218,448 through October 14, 2026⁵	$7,020 through October 14, 2026⁶
Cash on hand	$1,181,424⁵	$1,219⁶
Outside spending	$106,348 for · $0 against⁷	Not found in the public sources we checked

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.

Ted W. Lieu — 2 issues

Cash bail and pretrial release
End or reduce cash bail, with judges deciding release based on risk
His campaign website says he wrote a bill to end money bail.⁸
Rules for artificial intelligence
His campaign website says he co-chaired the House's bipartisan task force on artificial intelligence and introduced legislation to create a national AI commission.⁸

Houston Brignano — 7 issues

Federal agencies' power to write rules
His campaign website says he would cut unnecessary rules and regulations through measures like the REINS Act.^9,10
Health insurance system
Fewer federal insurance rules and more private plan choices, with aid paid to individuals
His campaign website says he supports portable health savings accounts and competition across state lines so families can choose their own care.^9,10
Help for first-time homebuyers
His campaign website calls for tax breaks for young people buying homes or starting companies.¹⁰
Zoning and new housing
His campaign website says regulations that restrict new development keep people from buying homes, and calls for extensive building.⁹
Immigration enforcement inside the country
His campaign website says strong vetting and enforcement should keep out and remove criminals who threaten American families.^9,10
Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
His campaign website calls for a legal immigration process that is fair to everyone, without backdoor deals or what it calls secret amnesty that lets people skip ahead of those who follow the rules.^9,10
Fraud and improper payments in federal programs
His campaign website calls for stopping waste, fraud and abuse in government spending so the money can help the people who need it most.¹⁰

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

All 2026 races in California