
Bob Smith
Republican candidate for U.S. House in California
CA-24 primary: first place
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Live Odds
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
Bob Smith is trading at 0% to win the CA-24 primary: first place on prediction markets.
Candidate Overview
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current roleU.S. Navy officer (retired)
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
GenderMale
LocationCalifornia
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BackgroundU.S. Navy officer (retired)
Notable personal detailsRobert “Bob” J. Smith is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in California’s 24th Congressional District. He is a retired U.S. Navy commander and combat veteran who later worked as a defense systems engineer. He is associated with the campaign committee Bob Smith for Congress.
SourcesShowHide
Political Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports reducing federal spending and regulations to lower costs, and favors tax incentives and other market-oriented measures (including incentives for housing construction) rather than tax increases. Emphasizes cutting wasteful federal spending and providing tax incentives to spur supply and affordability.
Healthcare
Supports addressing healthcare affordability as part of cutting federal spending and reducing regulations; emphasizes lowering healthcare prices within a broader affordability agenda rather than proposing major public expansions. Positions focus on market-oriented cost reduction and oversight of spending. Guessing or inference is not included; summary reflects the campaign’s stated priorities on affordability and healthcare pricing.
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Immigration & Border
Supports securing the border and enforcing federal immigration law while also backing targeted legal pathways such as modernized agricultural/seasonal work visas and reforms for Dreamers; calls for immediate deportation of violent offenders. The position emphasizes stronger enforcement with some limited legal-regularization measures and humanitarian exceptions for long-term contributors.
Climate & Energy
Supports a ‘‘balanced grid’’ that uses renewables layered on reliable baseload power, promotes development of small modular nuclear reactors and fusion energy, and opposes certain offshore wind projects along the California coast. Emphasizes affordable, reliable energy and federal funding for water storage and drought resilience.
Latest News
Bob Smith is in the news because he is running in California’s 24th Congressional District, where early primary results showed incumbent Salud Carbajal leading him. The race is still moving toward the general election, with the top two candidates set to advance. A separate local election guide also profiled Smith as one of the candidates in the field and highlighted campaign issues such as cost of living, housing, health care, and reform.
Campaign Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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