Candidate · November 3, 2026

Jimmy Panetta

On the ballot for U.S. House · California's 19th District

DemocraticIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$3.6M
cash on hand
$5.5M
issues with public statements
6
outside spending for or against
$749K

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. House · California's 19th District1
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2
StatusIncumbent — Currently represents California's 19th District in the U.S. House.3
How it's decidedUnder 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.1,4
Also on the ballot

§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.

Jimmy Panetta attended Monterey Peninsula College, earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from UC Davis and received his law degree from Santa Clara University.5,6 He began his legal career in 1996 as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and later served as a deputy district attorney in Monterey County, assigned to the gang team in Salinas.5 He was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2003, deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 with a special operations task force and was awarded the Bronze Star.5,6 He was first elected to Congress in 2016, is serving his fifth term, and serves on the Ways and Means and Budget committees.5,6

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says he is working to expand opportunities for a better life for the district's people and working families and to bring new ideas and civility to Congress.7

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2025–nowU.S. Representative, CA-193
  • 2023–2025U.S. Representative, CA-193

Websites and accounts

§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.

Energy and Climate

Oil and gas drilling on federal land and offshore

His campaign website says he has written and passed bills to block oil drilling off the coastline and on public lands, cut carbon emissions and invest in clean energy technology.9

Environment and Public Lands

Wildfire prevention and forest management

His campaign website says he has written and passed bills to invest in wildfire prevention, reforestation and more Forest Service personnel.9

Health Care

Health insurance system

His campaign website says he supports universal health care, fought efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and, on the Ways and Means Committee, worked on legislation to expand Medicare and lower prescription drug prices for seniors.9

Housing

Help for first-time homebuyers

His campaign website says he wrote and supported legislation expanding federal tax credits to build more low- and middle-income housing and to support first-time homebuyers and renters.7,9

Family and Social Policy

Child care costs

His campaign website says he is working to expand child care to support working families.9

Abortion and Reproductive Health

Abortion law

His campaign website says he continues to fight to protect a woman's right to choose her own reproductive health care.7,9

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Jimmy Panetta served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Jimmy Panetta sponsored or cosponsored 40 of the 52. How bills die without a vote.

See all 52

§5Money

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, 2026.62

Raised$3,622,737
Spent$1,870,173
Cash on hand$5,467,202

Where the money came from

Individual donors$1.6M · 45%
PACs and other political committees$1.9M · 53%
Other receipts (other loans, refunds, interest)$49K · 1%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $748,665 supporting and $0 opposing Jimmy Panetta this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 22, 2026.63

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
THINK BIG$599,280—
Protect Progress$149,385—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial 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.