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 8th District
Top twoGaramendi is very likely to win: Garamendi wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Garamendi (D)
>99%
chance of winning
Recile (R)
<1%
- Average margin
- D+42.5
- 80% of outcomes
- D+34 to D+52
- Partisan lean
- D+37
- Polls
- No pollsmodel only
Garamendi is very likely to win: Garamendi wins in more than 99 of every 100 simulations.
Garamendi (D)
>99%
chance of winning
Recile (R)
<1%
- Average margin
- D+41.1
- 80% of outcomes
- D+30 to D+53
- Partisan lean
- D+37
- 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
John Garamendi
Incumbent U.S. representative
- Experience
- Statewide office or Congress
- Raised
- $559.4K
- From individuals
- $165.1K
- Spent
- $609.6K
- Cash on hand
- $1.2M
Money: FEC, through Sep 30, 2026.
Republican
Rudy Recile
Businessman and runner-up for this district in 2022 and 2024
- Experience
- No elected office
- Raised
- $20.1K
- From individuals
- $10.8K
- Spent
- $20.9K
- Cash on hand
- $235
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) | 1.66 |
| 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+37: 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
- 752,572
- People per km²
- 206
- Adults with a B.A.+
- 33%
- White, no degree
- 21%of adults
- White 30%
- Hispanic 33%
- Black 12%
- Asian 17%
- Other / multiracial 8%
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
272,688 votes · D+48.0✓ John Garamendi (D)74.0%
Rudy Recile (R)26.0%
2024 President Vote in this district
303,277 two-party votes · D+35.0 · D+36.5 vs. the nation✓ Kamala Harris (D)67.5%
Donald Trump (R)32.5%
2022 Earlier district lines
192,135 votes · D+51.5✓ John Garamendi (D)75.7%
Rudy Recile (R)24.3%
2020 Earlier district lines
283,111 votes · R+12.1✓ Jay Obernolte (R)56.1%
Christine Bubser (D)43.9%
2020 President Vote in this district
338,800 two-party votes · D+43.2 · D+38.7 vs. the nation✓ Joe Biden (D)71.6%
Donald Trump (R)28.4%
2018 Earlier district lines
170,785 votes · Uncontested by the other party✓ Paul Cook (R)60.0%
Tim Donnelly (R)40.0%
2016 Earlier district lines
220,007 votes · R+24.5✓ Paul Cook (R)62.3%
Rita Ramirez (D)37.7%
2016 President Vote in this district
261,549 two-party votes · D+46.4 · D+44.1 vs. the nation✓ Hillary Clinton (D)73.2%
Donald Trump (R)26.8%
Also on the ballot in California
Neighboring districts
CA-2Jared HuffmanRobin Littau>99%Dem.>99%Dem. CA-4Mike Thompson—D vs D>99%Dem.>99%Dem. CA-6Richard PanKevin KileyD flipD flip86%Dem.81%Dem. CA-7Doris Matsui—D vs D>99%Dem.>99%Dem. CA-9Josh HarderJohn McBride>99%Dem.98%Dem. CA-10Mark DeSaulnierJeff Frese>99%Dem.>99%Dem. CA-11Scott Wiener—D vs D>99%Dem.>99%Dem. CA-12Lateefah Simon—D vs D>99%Dem.>99%Dem.