Candidate · November 3, 2026
Brian Burley
On the ballot for U.S. House · California's 42nd District
- raised through Oct 14, 2026
- $251K
- cash on hand
- $1,939
- issues with public statements
- 11
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | U.S. House · California's 42nd District1 |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Republican1, |
| Status | Challenger |
| How it's 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, |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Brian Burley was raised in a small town in Michigan, where his father worked as a forklift operator and his mother as a waitress and an accountant.4 He earned an undergraduate degree in political economy and three master's degrees, in public policy, digital media management and emergency management, from the University of Southern California.4 He has worked in information technology and higher education and is a trustee of the Huntington Beach City School District, and his campaign website lists past service as an elected member of the Orange County Central Committee.4,
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says he is running because voters deserve leaders who put service ahead of politics, and that he would bring the approach he took on the school board to Congress, focusing on safe neighborhoods, good schools and a strong economy.6
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websitebrianburley.com1,
2 - Campaign websiteburley4congress.com5,
6 - Facebookfacebook.com/Burley4HB6
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Taxes and Budget
A platform document on his campaign website proposes increasing the state and local tax deduction to $50,000.7
- Remove the cap
- Keep a higher cap, like the one passed in 2025
- Return to a lower cap or limit the deduction further
A platform document on his campaign website says he favors cutting taxes and cutting wasteful and unnecessary spending.7
Under the heading Balanced Budget Amendment, a platform document on his campaign website proposes requiring Congress to balance the budget by 2030 and a law limiting interest payments to 3% of the federal budget.7
- Add a balanced budget requirement to the Constitution
- No amendment; limit spending by law instead, such as with spending caps
- No constitutional requirement or new spending limits
A platform document on his campaign website proposes a tax credit for paying down student loan principal and investment accounts with a tax credit that parents could use to save for a child's education or trade school or to start a small business, each a 5% credit of up to $200 a year.7
- Expand these breaks and make more of them refundable, so families who owe little income tax also benefit
- Add or expand breaks for costs such as education savings, adoption and selling a home
- Keep the current breaks
- Cut back these breaks and use the money for lower tax rates or deficit reduction
Immigration
A platform document on his campaign website proposes requiring every state to put in place and enforce E-Verify for all employers in the state.7
- Keep it optional for most employers
- Require it only for larger employers or certain industries
- Require all employers to use it
Social Security and Medicare
A platform document on his campaign website proposes laws barring Congress from spending Social Security savings on other expenses and says promises to people who paid into the system must be kept.7
Health Care
A platform document on his campaign website calls for market-friendly and consumer-friendly health care policies that lower costs, and says people should be able to add anyone to their health plans regardless of age or relation.7
A platform document on his campaign website says he supports turning Medicaid into block grants to the states.7
- Reduce federal Medicaid spending further, such as by giving states fixed yearly amounts (block grants or per-person limits)
- Keep the funding rules set by the 2025 law
- Reverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
Foreign Policy and Defense
A platform document on his campaign website says he will always vote to maintain and support the military budget.7
Abortion and Reproductive Health
A platform document on his campaign website says he supports defending the right to life, which it calls the country's biggest human rights issue.7
Education
A platform document on his campaign website says he supports school choice.7
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.
Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.8
| Raised | $251,137 |
|---|---|
| Spent | $254,974 |
| Cash on hand | $1,939 |
| Debts owed by the campaign | $132,843 |
Where the money came from
§5Financial disclosures
Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.
- Candidate financial disclosure report9filed Sep 16, 2026