CA-19 primary: first place
$1.2K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleTech entrepreneur
PartyIndependent
Political ideologyLibertarian
LocationCalifornia
BackgroundTech entrepreneur
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Notable personal detailsLars Mapstead is a Libertarian candidate who previously filed with the FEC as a 2024 Libertarian presidential candidate. He is a tech entrepreneur and has been described as a co-founder of FriendFinder and Fupa Games, and a road-racing enthusiast. In 2026 he ran for U.S. House in California’s 19th Congressional District.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate advocates eliminating the federal income tax, abolishing the IRS, and replacing the income tax with a national sales-based Fair Tax; the platform calls for substantially smaller federal government and reducing or abolishing federal programs not required by the Constitution. The campaign frames taxation as compulsory and supports major tax system overhaul toward lower/removed income taxes and simplified consumption taxation.
Healthcare
Supports market-based healthcare reforms focused on expanding Health Savings Accounts and enabling cash purchases of care, reducing federal healthcare spending, increasing price transparency, and eliminating regulations seen as barriers to provider entry and telehealth. Proposes giving Medicare and Medicaid recipients debit-style accounts to direct a portion of their federal healthcare dollars and enforcing hospital price transparency. Emphasizes reducing government role and cost overruns in federal programs rather than expanding government-run coverage.
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Immigration & Border
Supports substantially simplifying legal immigration channels (reducing many visa categories to a few: visitor, worker, immigrant), expanding access to work visas and corporate-sponsored entry, and restoring orderly movement while keeping enforcement focused on serious criminals. Emphasizes ending humanitarian chaos at the border and reducing incentives that drive irregular migration while enabling more legal labor mobility.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports keeping government out of abortion decisions and leaving the question to each person’s conscientious consideration, indicating support for broad access without government-imposed bans.
Climate & Energy
Campaign materials advocate to "ignite an energy race to lower the cost of energy," but no detailed climate policies, emissions targets, or specific positions on fossil fuels, Paris Agreement, carbon pricing, or large clean‑energy programs were identified in available public materials. Public reporting notes Mapstead is running for CA-19 but does not record more detailed climate or energy positions.
News
Lars Mapstead is in the news because a California ballot initiative has been filed that could affect the state’s top-two primary system. The proposal would put repeal of that system on the November 2028 ballot, but it still needs major funding and enough signatures to qualify. The move is being framed as a response to concerns that the current system could hurt Democrats and third-party candidates in statewide races.
Endorsements
Endorsers of Lars Mapstead for CA-19 primary: first place
Libertarian Party of California
Public endorsement
The Libertarian Party of California endorsed Lars Mapstead.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Fundraising