Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. House · California's 5th 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.

Michael Masuda
Democratic · Challenger
Tom McClintock
Republican · Incumbent
Currently represents California's 5th 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.
Michael MasudaTom McClintock
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,3Republican1,3
StatusChallengerIncumbent4
Raised$581,621 through October 14, 20265$1,254,442 through October 14, 20266
Cash on hand$59,6665$314,1006
Wildfire prevention and forest managementHis campaign website says he would expand science-based thinning and prescribed fire, fully fund Forest Service fuel reduction on federal land in the district, add staff and funding for federal land agencies to address wildfire threats, and streamline delayed projects.7,8
Speed up thinning and logging by shortening reviews and limiting lawsuits
His campaign website says environmental reviews and lawsuits under laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act have made forest management and timber sales too costly and slow, and that he has introduced legislation to speed the removal of dead timber, replanting and the care of surviving forests.9
Immigration enforcement inside the countryHis campaign website says immigration enforcement should prioritize removing people who pose public safety risks.7His campaign website says the main problem with immigration law is that it is not being enforced, and that he favors strict enforcement of current law before any other immigration reform.10
Federal income tax ratesA platform page on his campaign website says he supports tax relief aimed at families earning under $100,000 rather than the top 1%.8His campaign website says the economy has grown whenever tax and regulatory burdens were reduced, and includes a 2015 speech crediting the 1981 Reagan tax rate cuts with economic growth.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.

Michael Masuda — 16 issues
  • Visas for farmworkers
    His campaign website says he would create workable legal pathways for farm labor and protect workers from exploitation.7
  • Discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity
    His campaign website says he would enforce civil rights laws in schools, workplaces and public spaces and work to prevent discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ people.7
  • Small business loans and programs
    His campaign website says he would improve small businesses' access to capital and federal resources and reduce barriers for rural businesses.7
  • Tariffs
    His campaign website says he opposes unpredictable tariffs that raise costs and hurt farmers.7
  • US Department of Education
    His campaign website says he would strengthen school programs such as Title I and IDEA and make sure federal commitments to fund special education are met.7
  • Campaign finance rules
    His campaign website lists countering the influence of big money in politics among his priorities, says he would champion campaign finance reform and disclose every meeting he takes in office, and says the campaign does not take corporate PAC money.8,12
  • Foreign aid
    His campaign website says the United States should invest in diplomacy and development to reduce the risk of conflict.7
  • US role in NATO
    His campaign website says he would reinforce NATO and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and support targeted security assistance to deter conflict.7
  • Federal Medicaid funding
    His campaign website says he would protect Medicare and Medi-Cal and reduce barriers to getting and keeping health coverage.7
  • Help for first-time homebuyers
    His campaign website says he would strengthen rural programs for first-time home buyers and support targeted financing tools and tax relief.7
  • Homelessness
    His campaign website says he would support prevention-focused programs that keep people housed and expand access to mental health and transitional services.7
  • Legal immigration levels
    Admit more immigrants, such as by adding work visas or clearing family backlogs
    His campaign website says he would expand and modernize legal immigration pathways and reduce backlogs for families and employers.7
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    His campaign website says he supports an earned, lawful path forward for long-term, law-abiding immigrants, with background checks and eligibility requirements, and certainty for Dreamers.7
  • Federal disaster aid (FEMA)
    His campaign website says he would strengthen FEMA, make its pre-disaster mitigation grants permanent, speed up disaster response and assistance, and make wildfire funding faster, simpler and available before fire season.7,8
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    His campaign website says he would continue efforts to lower prescription drug prices and cap prescription costs through Medicare price negotiation.7,8
  • High-speed internet access
    His campaign website says he would expand reliable broadband in rural areas and bring it to every household in the Sierra foothills.7,8
Tom McClintock — 10 issues
  • Carbon taxes and cap-and-trade
    His campaign website says he finds claims about human activity's effect on climate change unconvincing, and includes a 2009 speech criticizing a proposed federal cap-and-trade plan that he says would raise costs for families.13
  • Iran's nuclear program and sanctions
    His campaign website calls the Iran nuclear agreement a major mistake that gave Iran's government money and room to keep developing nuclear capabilities, and says he supports giving Iran's internal opposition moral and material support so that the regime collapses from within.14,15
  • Military spending
    His campaign website says the military should have the latest technology, the best equipment and enough trained personnel to defend the nation, but that the country should not spend more on defense than it requires.16
  • Who decides on military action
    Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
    His campaign website says the Constitution requires Congress to declare war before U.S. troops are placed in harm's way.16
  • Carry permits across state lines
    Require every state to accept other states' permits
    His campaign website says gun control laws disarm law-abiding citizens rather than criminals, and includes a 2011 House speech supporting H.R. 822, a bill to make states recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states.17
  • Health insurance system
    Fewer federal insurance rules and more private plan choices, with aid paid to individuals
    His campaign website says the Affordable Care Act should be fully repealed and replaced with changes such as giving individuals the same tax advantages employers get for health plans, letting people buy plans from any state, expanding health savings accounts, reforming cost drivers such as malpractice, and strengthening assigned-risk pools for people with pre-existing conditions.18
  • Highway and transit funding
    His campaign website says highway taxes should be spent on highways, and that diverting them to mass transit has left highways congested and in poor repair.19
  • Passenger trains and Amtrak
    Cut federal rail funding or move Amtrak toward private operation
    His campaign website says he opposes spending any federal money on California's high-speed rail project, and includes a 2015 House floor speech for his amendment to end taxpayer subsidies for Amtrak, under which Amtrak could keep running its Northeast Corridor from its own earnings.19,20
  • Balanced budget amendment
    Add a balanced budget requirement to the Constitution
    His campaign website says the country needs a balanced budget amendment to limit federal borrowing.21
  • Federal spending levels
    His campaign website calls the national debt the greatest danger to the nation and proposes giving mandatory spending programs the same yearly review as other spending and barring appropriations that are not authorized by law.21,22

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