Top-two primary
All candidates run in one primary regardless of party and the two with the most votes advance, so two candidates of the same party can meet in November. The forecast then marks the seat as safe for that party.
California › U.S. House of Representatives · November 3, 2026 · Updated Oct 16, 2026
California's 42nd District
Top twoGarcia is very likely to win: Garcia wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Garcia (D)
>99%
chance of winning
Burley (R)
<1%
- Average margin
- D+25.3
- 80% of outcomes
- D+16 to D+35
- Partisan lean
- D+15
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
Garcia is very likely to win: Garcia wins in 49 of every 50 simulations.
Garcia (D)
98%
chance of winning
Burley (R)
2%
- Average margin
- D+21.5
- 80% of outcomes
- D+10 to D+34
- Partisan lean
- D+15
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
How this race is decided
Range of outcomes
Final margin across our simulations; the white dashes mark the middle 80%.
The candidates
DemocraticIncumbent
Robert Garcia
Incumbent U.S. representative
- Experience
- Statewide office or Congress
- Raised
- $2.6M
- From individuals
- $2M
- Spent
- $1.6M
- Cash on hand
- $1.4M
Money: FEC, through Jun 30, 2026.
Republican
Brian Burley
Huntington Beach City School District trustee and perennial candidate
- Experience
- Local office
- Raised
- $231.4K
- From individuals
- $44.9K
- Spent
- $231.6K
- Cash on hand
- $5.5K
Money: FEC, through Jun 30, 2026.
What goes into the forecast
Every ingredient's estimate of the final margin.
- National environment
- D+9.5Election Day forecast; federal races run in it
- Swing reaching this office
- 78%Of a shift in the environment, from past House races since 2016
- Pacific adjustment
- −1.2How House races in the region have run against lean and environment lately
Each estimate is a margin before national and statewide uncertainty is simulated. Horizon blends polls, fundamentals and a little of the similar-places estimate, weighting each by how precise it is; Pulse uses polls and similar places only.
Fundamentals inputs
| Incumbency (+1 D, −1 R) | 1 |
| Fundraising edge (log ratio of individual money) | 3.26 |
| Elected-experience edge | 0.67 |
| First-term incumbent | 0 |
| Seat's last result vs. expectation | 0 |
| Incumbent's last result vs. expectation | 0 |
Polls
No public polls of this race. The forecast relies on fundamentals and on polling of similar places.
The district
Lean D+15: how much more Democratic or Republican than the nation it votes for president.
Presidential vote
Precinct results re-aggregated to the current district lines.
Who lives here
- Population
- 760,454
- People per km²
- 385
- Adults with a B.A.+
- 46%
- White, no degree
- 22%of adults
- White 45%
- Hispanic 32%
- Black 5%
- Asian 12%
- Other / multiracial 6%
American Community Survey 2020–2024, aggregated from census tracts.
Past results
Results in the same-numbered district; earlier elections may have used different lines.
2024 Earlier district lines
233,533 votes · D+36.3✓ Robert Garcia (D)68.1%
John Briscoe (R)31.9%
2024 President Vote in this district
338,387 two-party votes · D+13.6 · D+15.1 vs. the nation✓ Kamala Harris (D)56.8%
Donald Trump (R)43.2%
2022 Earlier district lines
145,120 votes · D+36.7✓ Robert Garcia (D)68.4%
John Briscoe (R)31.6%
2020 Earlier district lines
368,047 votes · R+14.3✓ Ken Calvert (R)57.1%
William "liam" O'Mara (D)42.9%
2020 President Vote in this district
380,013 two-party votes · D+20.2 · D+15.7 vs. the nation✓ Joe Biden (D)60.1%
Donald Trump (R)39.9%
2018 Earlier district lines
231,932 votes · R+13.0✓ Ken Calvert (R)56.5%
Julia C Peacock (D)43.5%
2016 Earlier district lines
254,236 votes · R+17.6✓ Ken Calvert (R)58.8%
Tim Sheridan (D)41.2%
2016 President Vote in this district
293,680 two-party votes · D+18.5 · D+16.3 vs. the nation✓ Hillary Clinton (D)59.3%
Donald Trump (R)40.7%