Incumbent
John Garamendi
Incumbent Democratic candidate for U.S. House in California
CA-08 primary: first place
$17.1K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Live Odds
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
John Garamendi is trading at 99% to win the CA-08 primary: first place on prediction markets.
Candidate Overview
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyMainstream Democrat
Age81 years old (Jan 24, 1945)
GenderMale
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LocationCalifornia
BackgroundPolitician
EducationB.A., Business, University of California, Berkeley (1966)
Notable personal detailsJohn Raymond Garamendi is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving in Congress since winning a special election in 2009. He previously served in California state government, including as lieutenant governor and as California insurance commissioner, and held a senior role in the U.S. Department of the Interior. He earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and earlier served in the U.S. Peace Corps.
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Political Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports raising revenue by closing tax loopholes for wealthy individuals and corporations and opposes large tax cuts for the highest earners; backs policies to simplify filing and reduce costs for ordinary taxpayers. Advocates using tax policy to fund expanded government investments (for example climate and domestic programs) while criticizing Republican tax cuts as benefiting the wealthy.
Healthcare
Supports Medicare-for-All / single-payer and considers healthcare a basic human right; also supports measures to expand coverage such as a national public option and strengthening the ACA. Has cosponsored federal legislation to establish an improved Medicare-for-All program.
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Immigration & Border
Supports protecting asylum access and limits on militarization and diversion of military resources to immigration enforcement, while opposing additional ICE funding and calling for humane treatment of migrants. Advocates for immigration system reforms and oversight of enforcement practices rather than expansion of enforcement-only measures.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports protecting and expanding access to abortion and has cosponsored legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Advocates defending reproductive rights and has participated in events with reproductive-health organizations.
Climate & Energy
Supports federal clean energy investments and climate legislation while promoting renewable energy deployment (geothermal, offshore wind, hydrogen) and wildfire/forest management measures; backs clean energy tax credits and infrastructure for EV charging and transmission. Also sponsors bipartisan bills to expand renewable generation and biomass/geothermal as part of energy and forest management solutions.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports banning assault weapons, expanding background checks, and other gun-violence prevention measures; has sponsored and advocated for legislation to keep military-style weapons off civilian streets and implement commonsense regulations. Has a long record of supporting extreme-risk (red flag) measures, closing loopholes, and holding manufacturers/accountable.
Latest News
John Garamendi is in the news because he is leading early returns in California’s newly formed 8th Congressional District primary, with 54% of the vote counted so far. He said he plans to keep campaigning into the general election. He is also being mentioned as one of several long-serving California House Democrats facing serious primary challenges this cycle.
Campaign Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
2022
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2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements