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2026 candidates we're tracking in CA-8
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John Garamendi
Democratic
Incumbent
John Garamendi was raised on his family's ranch in Mokelumne Hill, California, per his campaign site. He earned a B.A. in business from UC Berkeley, served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School, per the campaign site. He was elected to the California State Assembly at 27 and now serves in the U.S. House, where he serves on the committee responsible for the National Defense Authorization Act, per the campaign site.
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Rudy Recile
Republican
Rudy Recile is the Republican candidate for California's 8th Congressional District on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates (ballot designation: Business Owner/Consultant). No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
About this race
California's 8th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The California primary is Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.