Candidate · November 3, 2026
Michael Masuda
On the ballot for U.S. House · California's 5th District
- raised through Oct 14, 2026
- $582K
- cash on hand
- $60K
- issues with public statements
- 19
§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 5th District1 |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Democratic1, |
| 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.
Michael Masuda grew up in Amador County and attended Sutter Creek Elementary, Ione Junior High and Amador High School.4 He went to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 2007 to study electrical engineering, and then worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where his campaign website says he helped develop technology to protect U.S. soldiers.4 In 2021 he was selected for the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Science and Technology Policy Fellowship and joined the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Affairs Officer.4,
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says he is running so that rural California has a representative who will work to lower costs, keep hospitals open, reduce wildfire risk, support the farm economy and bring good jobs back to its communities.6
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websitevotemasuda.com1,
2 - Facebookfacebook.com/votemasuda7
- Instagraminstagram.com/VoteMasuda7
- X (Twitter)x.com/VoteMasuda7
- TikToktiktok.com/@votemasuda.com7
- Blueskybsky.app/profile/votemasuda.com7
§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.
Social Security and Medicare
Health Care
His campaign website says he would protect Medicare and Medi-Cal and reduce barriers to getting and keeping health coverage.6
Environment and Public Lands
Infrastructure and Transportation
Economy, Jobs and Trade
His campaign website says he opposes unpredictable tariffs that raise costs and hurt farmers.6
His campaign website says he would improve small businesses' access to capital and federal resources and reduce barriers for rural businesses.6
Taxes and Budget
A platform page on his campaign website says he supports tax relief aimed at families earning under $100,000 rather than the top 1%.8
Housing
His campaign website says he would strengthen rural programs for first-time home buyers and support targeted financing tools and tax relief.6
His campaign website says he would support prevention-focused programs that keep people housed and expand access to mental health and transitional services.6
Technology, Privacy and AI
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.6
Immigration
His campaign website says immigration enforcement should prioritize removing people who pose public safety risks.6
His campaign website says he would expand and modernize legal immigration pathways and reduce backlogs for families and employers.6
- Admit more immigrants, such as by adding work visas or clearing family backlogs
- Keep green cards and work visas near recent levels
- Admit fewer immigrants than in recent years
- Pause most new legal immigration for a time
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.6
Agriculture and Rural Life
His campaign website says he would create workable legal pathways for farm labor and protect workers from exploitation.6
Courts, Rights and Civil Liberties
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.6
Foreign Policy and Defense
His campaign website says he would reinforce NATO and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and support targeted security assistance to deter conflict.6
His campaign website says the United States should invest in diplomacy and development to reduce the risk of conflict.6
§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, 2026.9
| Raised | $581,621 |
|---|---|
| Spent | $521,956 |
| Cash on hand | $59,666 |
| Debts owed by the campaign | $21,198 |
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 report10filed Sep 15, 2026
- Candidate financial disclosure report11filed Jul 27, 2025