Michael Barkley
CA-05 primary: first place
$14.3K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age80 years old (Oct 27, 1945)
LocationCalifornia
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BackgroundAttorney
Notable personal detailsMichael James ("Mike") Barkley is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in California's 5th Congressional District. He is an attorney and has described his background as including law, accounting (as an inactive CPA), computer programming, small business ownership, ranching, activism, and U.S. Navy veteran service. He has run for Congress multiple times, including campaigns in 2022 and 2024 for CA-05.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports reversing the 2017 'billionaire' tax cut, restoring tax provisions that favor lower-income housing and renters, and proposes Medicare for All alongside budget-balancing measures. Also advocates tax changes such as restoring income averaging for personal income taxes.
Immigration & Border
Supports the Senate bipartisan border bill as written and expresses preference for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 immigration proposals, which emphasized expanded legal pathways and a pathway to citizenship.
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Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports reproductive rights and the right to choose, says the Dobbs decision was wrongly decided and opposes a national ban on abortion. He stated California can accommodate out-of-state patients seeking abortion care and urged opposition to policies that would spread Dobbs’s effects nationwide.
Climate & Energy
The candidate supports addressing climate change (lists “Reverse global warming” among major goals) and emphasizes water policy and flood/drought solutions for California, including detailed proposals on water storage and conveyance to adapt to extreme events. Positions emphasize climate mitigation and infrastructure/adaptation rather than explicitly endorsing Green New Deal–style phase-outs of fossil fuels or radical regulatory measures.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate supports repealing the Second Amendment and significant new restrictions on firearms, including proposals that would tax and penalize firearms ownership to reduce proliferation. The candidate describes firearms as a privilege rather than an inherent right and advocates strong measures to address gun violence.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262022
2024
2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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