Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 32
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
- Brad Sherman — Democratic
- Larry Thompson — Republican
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Brad Sherman led the June 2 primary with 36.8% and Republican Larry Thompson took 32.7%. Sherman has held this seat since 1997, and 36.8% is the weakest primary showing by any long-serving member on this ballot. The district covers the western San Fernando 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, and nearly three decades of it is a substantial asset for a district.
Twenty-nine years of seniority set against a 36.8% primary is the tension in this race. The incumbent has both the deepest committee standing available to this district and the weakest recent mandate of any long-serving member here. Weigh accumulated influence against that signal, and note his challenger is largely self-financed.
Brad Sherman
Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 1997. He has sponsored 13 bills in the 119th Congress, and 3 of his career bills have become law. He raised $2,514,330, of which $1,435,453 came from individuals.
Strengths
Nearly three decades of federal seniority, three career laws, and a majority of funding from named individuals.
Trade-offs
36.8% is the weakest primary result by a long-serving member on this ballot.
Keep in mind
Long tenure is both accumulated influence and a long time for one district to be represented by one person; this primary suggests some of the district is weighing that.
Larry Thompson
Republican, who advanced with 32.7% of the June vote. He raised $34,316, of which $27,452 is his own money. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
Strengths
He came within four points of a twenty-nine-year incumbent on a campaign of about $34,000.
Trade-offs
Roughly eight of every ten dollars are 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
Brad Sherman (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 1997 and has sponsored 13 bills in the 119th Congress; 3 of their career bills have become law. Larry Thompson 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
Sherman — Committees: Financial Services; Foreign Affairs Sherman — HR 7440 (2020): Hong Kong Autonomy Act Sherman — HR 4646 (2006): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7320 Reseda Boulevard in Reseda, California, as the "Coach John Wooden Post Office Building". Sherman — HR 5340 (2002): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5805 White Oak Avenue in Encino, California, as the "Francis Dayle 'Chick' Hearn 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
Brad Sherman
$2,514,330 raised
- Individuals$1,435,45367%
- PACs & committees$703,42433%
Larry Thompson
$34,316 raised
- Individuals$6,86420%
- Self-funding$27,45280%
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.