Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 21
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
- Kyle Kirkland — Republican
- Jim Costa — Democratic
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Jim Costa led the June 2 primary with 42.2% and Republican Kyle Kirkland took 26.3%. The district covers Fresno and part of the central San Joaquin Valley.
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, so a long-serving member carries influence a newcomer cannot.
The incumbent has served since 2005 and took only 42.2% in his own primary, short of a majority — a modest showing for two decades of tenure. His funding is majority-committee. Weigh long seniority against that softness and against a challenger largely funding himself.
Jim Costa
Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 2005. He has sponsored 29 bills in the 119th Congress, and 2 of his career bills have become law. He raised $1,337,630.
Strengths
Two decades of federal seniority and the committee standing that follows from it.
Trade-offs
42.2% is a weak primary showing for a member of his tenure, and well over half his funding came from PACs and committees.
Keep in mind
Long tenure is both accumulated influence and a long time for one district to be represented by one person.
Kyle Kirkland
Republican, who advanced with 26.3% of the June vote. He raised $338,971, including $211,511 from individuals and $127,459 of his own money. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
Strengths
A funded challenge with substantial individual backing alongside his own contribution.
Trade-offs
About 38% of his campaign is self-financed, 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
Jim Costa (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 2005 and has sponsored 29 bills in the 119th Congress; 2 of their career bills have become law. Kyle Kirkland 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
Costa — Committees: Agriculture; Foreign Affairs Costa — HR 6023 (2022): Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2021 Costa — HR 4389 (2013): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, California, as the "Cecil E. Bolt Post Office". 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
- Self-funding
Kyle Kirkland
$338,971 raised
- Individuals$211,51162%
- Self-funding$127,45938%
Jim Costa
$1,337,630 raised
- Individuals$526,72240%
- PACs & committees$796,71760%
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.