Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 23
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
- Tessa Lynn Hodge — Democratic
- Jay Obernolte — Republican
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Jay Obernolte took 57.1% of the June 2 vote and Democrat Tessa Lynn Hodge took 21.3% to claim the second slot. The district covers the high desert and eastern San Bernardino 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, so a longer-serving member carries influence a newcomer cannot.
The incumbent draws the majority of his funding from committees rather than individuals, and his opponent has raised about five percent as much. The practical question here is what this district gets from a safe seat.
Jay Obernolte
Republican, the sitting Representative for this district since 2021. He has sponsored 30 bills in the 119th Congress, and 1 of his career bills has become law. He raised $1,455,868, including $863,371 from PACs and committees.
Strengths
Three terms of federal service and the committee standing that comes with it.
Trade-offs
A majority of his funding came from PACs and committees rather than individuals; and one career bill enacted is a thin return even by House standards.
Keep in mind
A 57.1% primary is on the lower end for a sitting member in a district of this registration.
Tessa Lynn Hodge
Democrat, who advanced with 21.3% of the June vote. She raised $79,499, mostly from individuals with $9,080 of her own money. She has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
Strengths
A campaign funded largely by individuals, giving this district a contested November ballot.
Trade-offs
That total is about five percent of the incumbent's, and she has no record in office to be judged on.
Keep in mind
Coverage surfaced little detail about her platform. That gap is what was available to us on 2026-08-10, not a comment on her candidacy.
Record in office
Jay Obernolte (Republican) has served in the U.S. House since 2021 and has sponsored 30 bills in the 119th Congress; 1 of their career bills have become law. Tessa Lynn Hodge 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
Obernolte — Committees: Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology; Budget Obernolte — HJRES 89 (2025): Providing congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "California State Motor Vehicle and Engine and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The "Omnibus" Low NOX Regulation; Waiver of Preemption; Notice of Decision". 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
Tessa Lynn Hodge
$79,499 raised
- Individuals$70,27389%
- Self-funding$9,08011%
Jay Obernolte
$1,455,868 raised
- Individuals$498,76037%
- PACs & committees$863,37163%
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.