Lars Mapstead
Lars Mapstead
CA-19 primary: first place
$1.2K
JUN 6, 2026
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleTech entrepreneur
Political ideologyLibertarian
LocationCalifornia
BackgroundTech entrepreneur
Notable personal detailsLars Damian Mapstead is a California-based tech entrepreneur and Libertarian political candidate. He previously filed with the FEC as a Libertarian candidate for President in the 2024 cycle. In 2026, he ran for U.S. House in California’s 19th Congressional District as a Libertarian.
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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 repeal the state’s top-two primary system and put the question before voters in 2028. The proposal is still early and would need major funding and enough signatures to qualify. It was filed amid concerns that the current system could hurt Democrats and third-party candidates in statewide races.
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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