Ray Riehle
CA-04 primary: first place
$33.8K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleBusiness owner
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
LocationCalifornia
BackgroundBusiness owner
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EducationUniversity of Notre Dame (1980–1984)
Notable personal detailsRaymond A. Riehle is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in California’s 4th Congressional District. He is a Citrus Heights small business owner and has served on the Citrus Heights Water District Board of Directors, where he has worked on budgeting and long-term infrastructure planning. He has also participated in local civic and school-related oversight efforts in the Citrus Heights area.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports rolling back taxes and reducing tax burdens to let families keep more of their money, favors tax reduction as a way to stimulate economic activity and address debt created by 'tax and spend' policies, and emphasizes cutting red tape to help businesses recover.
Healthcare
Supports market-based healthcare reforms including increased competition, Health Savings Accounts, and cross-state insurance purchasing while emphasizing reducing healthcare costs. Opposes expansive government-led healthcare expansions.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate emphasizes border security and enforcement while supporting legal immigration channels. He backs policies to reduce unlawful immigration, deport criminal undocumented immigrants, and address visa overstays, while describing a pragmatic approach that also allows legal pathways for refuge and immigration.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate states that life begins at conception, opposes federal funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood, and supports legislation to prohibit government funding of abortion. The candidate expresses a pro-life stance and displays opposition to abortion in public messaging.
Climate & Energy
Supports market-driven approaches to energy and opposes policies that raise energy costs such as a federal gas tax; emphasizes water management, reservoir storage, groundwater recharge, and forest management to build resilience to climate extremes. Positions focus on reducing government regulation and spending, protecting ratepayers, and securing energy affordability rather than advocating aggressive emissions targets or phase-out of fossil fuels.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate emphasizes being tough on crime, fully funding police, fire, and EMS, and defending constitutional rights; his campaign platform stresses supporting law enforcement and cracking down on criminals. There are no clear campaign statements endorsing major new firearm restrictions or specific gun-control policies.
News
Ray Riehle is in the news because he is trailing in California’s 4th Congressional District primary and may miss out on the second runoff spot. Late vote counts showed Eric Jones moving ahead of Riehle, and later reporting said outside spending helped split the Republican vote and may have hurt Riehle’s chances. The race is still being finalized, but the latest reports suggest Jones will advance to face incumbent Democrat Mike Thompson.
Democratic challenger Eric Jones poised to face Rep. Mike Thompson in general election for Northern California's 4th Congressional District
How a Southern California couple may have helped swing the 4th Congressional District primary
Endorsements
Endorsers of Ray Riehle for CA-04 primary: first place
Sacramento County Republican Central Committee
Political organization
The Sacramento County Republican Central Committee endorsed Ray Riehle.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262024
2026
LatestCycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls