Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 18
Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.
This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.
On the ballot
- Zoe Lofgren — Democratic
- Shane Lewis — Republican
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Zoe Lofgren took 54.9% of the June 2 vote and Republican Shane Lewis took 29.3% to claim the second slot. Lofgren has held this seat since 1995, the longest tenure of any candidate on this ballot. The district covers San Jose and part of Santa Clara County.
The winner holds one of 435 seats in the U.S. House for a two-year term. A member introduces bills, sits on committees that shape federal legislation, votes on the federal budget and on war powers, and handles casework between constituents and federal agencies. Seniority governs committee standing, and three decades of it is a substantial asset for a district.
Three decades of seniority is the central fact here, and it cuts both ways: it buys committee position no newcomer could match, and it means this district has had the same representation for thirty-one years. A 54.9% primary is on the low side for a member of that standing. Weigh the value of the seniority against that signal.
Zoe Lofgren
Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 1995 — the longest-serving candidate on this ballot. She has sponsored 23 bills in the 119th Congress, and 5 of her career bills have become law. She raised $1,721,916, of which $1,105,068 came from individuals.
Strengths
Thirty-one years of seniority and the committee standing that follows from it, with a majority of funding from named individuals.
Trade-offs
She took 54.9% in her own primary, a modest showing for a member of her tenure.
Keep in mind
Long tenure is both an accumulation of influence and a long time for one district to be represented by one person; which of those matters more is your judgment.
Shane Lewis
Republican, who advanced with 29.3% of the June vote. He raised $60,180, of which $41,958 is his own money. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
Strengths
He took nearly three in ten votes against a thirty-one-year incumbent.
Trade-offs
Most of his funding is his own, and he has no record in office to be judged on.
Keep in mind
Coverage surfaced little detail about his platform. That gap is what was available to us on 2026-08-10, not a comment on his candidacy.
Record in office
Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 1995 and has sponsored 23 bills in the 119th Congress; 5 of their career bills have become law. Shane Lewis has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress; these records cover only those offices. Per Congress.gov and the public-domain congress-legislators roster, retrieved 2026-08-10.
Record details
Lofgren — Committees: Science, Space, and Technology; Judiciary Lofgren — HR 5277 (2019): To amend section 442 of title 18, United States Code, to exempt certain interests in mutual funds, unit investment trusts, employee benefit plans, and retirement plans from conflict of interest limitations for the Government Publishing Office. Lofgren — HR 398 (2011): To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to toll, during active-duty service abroad in the Armed Forces, the periods of time to file a petition and appear for an interview to remove the conditional basis for permanent resident status, and for other purposes. Lofgren — HR 4543 (2010): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4285 Payne Avenue in San Jose, California, as the "Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building". Committee assignments and the most recently signed-into-law bills each record-holder lead-authored, from the official legislative record.
Financial info
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
- Party
- Self-funding
Zoe Lofgren
$1,721,916 raised
- Individuals$1,105,06872%
- PACs & committees$438,20028%
- Party$613<1%
Shane Lewis
$60,180 raised
- Individuals$14,34025%
- Self-funding$41,95875%
1Total raised is all receipts for the 2026 cycle; the breakdown lists direct contributions, so the pieces can sum below the total. Figures are FEC filings through June 30, 2026, per the FEC bulk campaign-finance summaries, retrieved 2026-08-22.
June 2 primary — how they advanced
Source review: Very strong (95/100) · 5 cited sources
Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.
- sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CA Secretary of State — Statement of Vote, June 2, 2026 primary (certified 2026-07-10)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — June 2026 California primary
- unitedstates.github.io (opens in a new tab)congress-legislators — current members of Congress (unitedstates project)
- api.congress.gov (opens in a new tab)Congress.gov — member sponsored legislation (Library of Congress)
- fec.gov (opens in a new tab)FEC — 2026 House & Senate current-campaign financial summaries (bulk data)
Last updated August 11, 2026.