Incumbent: Jay Obernolte (Republican) · Incumbent running
General election Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026
Candidates as certified by the California Secretary of State (Aug. 27, 2026). California uses a top-two primary: the two leading vote-getters in the June 2, 2026 primary advance regardless of party. June 2 primary (official Statement of Vote, 142,524 votes): Jay Obernolte (Republican) 57.1% · Tessa Lynn Hodge (Democratic) 21.3% · Pat Wallis (Democratic) 13.3% · Karen Leigh Matthews (No Party Preference) 4.6% and others. Districts follow the new congressional map approved by voters in Proposition 50 (Nov. 2025).
Jay has lived in California’s 23rd Congressional District for over 25 years. Ballot designation: “Congressman/Business Owner”.
Ballot designation on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: “Social Worker/Businesswoman” (as filed with the California Secretary of State).
Candidates checked against the official list: state election office source. Candidate list compiled from the official state election office source and the sources on each profile. Check your official sample ballot before voting.
Topic headings are Vote Book’s; quoted words are each candidate’s own, with the source under each one. “As reported” means a news outlet’s description, not an exact quote. A yellow tag means no public position was found on that topic.
| Other priorities | |
|---|---|
| Obernolte Priorities The Energy and Commerce Data Privacy Working Group brought together a broad coalition of industry leaders, consumer advocates, and policy experts to develop a clear, consistent, and durable framework for data privacy in the digital age. Original: obernolte.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-obernolte-issues-statement-following-release-secure-data-act (accessed Oct 22, 2026) Priorities The Lifeline program plays an important role in helping Americans stay connected, but taxpayers deserve accountability. Original: obernolte.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-obernolte-introduces-bill-after-california-loophole-allowed-millions (accessed Oct 22, 2026) | Hodge Priorities The High Desert and District 23 are my home. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’m passionate about helping our community thrive. Original: tessaforca.com/about (accessed Oct 22, 2026) |
The same nine Senate votes (or three House votes) are shown for every current member of Congress running, so records can be compared across races. Click a roll call for the official tally.
| Measure | Obernolte |
|---|---|
| Laken Riley Act (S. 5) — final House passage Jan 22, 2025 · House roll call 23 (2025) | Yea |
| One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) — House passage May 22, 2025 · House roll call 145 (2025) | Yea |
| One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) — final, concur in Senate version Jul 3, 2025 · House roll call 190 (2025) | Aye |
Pulled from official roll-call records · Congress.gov profile & full record.
No congressional voting record for: Tessa Lynn Hodge. State legislative or local records are not yet compiled.