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 52nd District
Top twoVargas is very likely to win: Vargas wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Vargas (D)
>99%
chance of winning
Belle (R)
<1%
- Average margin
- D+30.2
- 80% of outcomes
- D+21 to D+40
- Partisan lean
- D+22
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
Vargas is very likely to win: Vargas wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Vargas (D)
99%
chance of winning
Belle (R)
1%
- Average margin
- D+28.2
- 80% of outcomes
- D+16 to D+41
- Partisan lean
- D+22
- 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
Juan Vargas
Incumbent U.S. representative
- Experience
- Statewide office or Congress
- Raised
- $791K
- From individuals
- $251.7K
- Spent
- $555.1K
- Cash on hand
- $326.8K
Money: FEC, through Sep 30, 2026.
Republican
Jeff Belle
Business owner
- Experience
- No elected office
- Raised
- $26.3K
- From individuals
- $19.3K
- Spent
- $26.3K
- Cash on hand
- -$15
Money: FEC, through Sep 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) | 1.74 |
| Elected-experience edge | 1 |
| 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+22: 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
- 754,346
- People per km²
- 421
- Adults with a B.A.+
- 26%
- White, no degree
- 12%of adults
- White 16%
- Hispanic 60%
- Black 7%
- Asian 13%
- Other / multiracial 5%
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
259,658 votes · D+32.6✓ Juan Vargas (D)66.3%
Justin Lee (R)33.7%
2024 President Vote in this district
264,845 two-party votes · D+18.1 · D+19.6 vs. the nation✓ Kamala Harris (D)59.1%
Donald Trump (R)40.9%
2022 Earlier district lines
150,985 votes · D+33.3✓ Juan Vargas (D)66.7%
Tyler Geffeney (R)33.3%
2020 Earlier district lines
396,495 votes · D+23.2✓ Scott H Peters (D)61.6%
Jim Debello (R)38.4%
2020 President Vote in this district
301,229 two-party votes · D+33.9 · D+29.4 vs. the nation✓ Joe Biden (D)66.9%
Donald Trump (R)33.1%
2018 Earlier district lines
296,007 votes · D+27.7✓ Scott Peters (D)63.8%
Omar Qudrat (R)36.2%
2016 Earlier district lines
320,656 votes · D+13.1✓ Scott H Peters (D)56.5%
Denise Gitsham (R)43.5%
2016 President Vote in this district
231,242 two-party votes · D+44.3 · D+42.0 vs. the nation✓ Hillary Clinton (D)72.1%
Donald Trump (R)27.9%