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Federal · Statewide General Election

United States Representative, District 35

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

This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).

Representative Norma J. Torres took 59.5% of the June 2 vote and Republican Mike Cargile took 40.4%; they were the only two candidates on the primary ballot. The district covers Pomona, Ontario and part of the western Inland Empire.

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 her funding from committees rather than individuals, and her opponent raised under $5,000 — yet took more than 40% of the vote. That gap between resources and support is worth noticing in a district usually treated as safe.

Norma J. Torres

Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 2015. She has sponsored 38 bills in the 119th Congress — among the higher counts in the delegation — and 1 of her career bills has become law. She raised $769,061, including $498,820 from PACs and committees.

Strengths

A decade of federal seniority and a high legislative workload.

Trade-offs

A majority of her funding came from PACs and committees; and she took 59.5% against an opponent with under $5,000.

Keep in mind

One career bill enacted is a thin return even by House standards, where most influence runs through committee work.

Mike Cargile

Republican, and the only other candidate on this district's ballot, with 40.4% of the June vote. He raised $4,759, all of it from individuals. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.

Strengths

He took more than 40% of the vote on under $5,000 — one of the widest vote-to-money gaps in any congressional race on this ballot.

Trade-offs

That is effectively no campaign in resource terms, 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

Norma J. Torres (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 2015 and has sponsored 38 bills in the 119th Congress; 1 of their career bills have become law. Mike Cargile 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

Torres — Committees: Appropriations; House Administration Torres — HR 3329 (2020): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5186 Benito Street in Montclair, California, as the "Paul Eaton 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

Mike Cargile

$4,759raised
  • Individuals$4,759100%

Norma J. Torres

$769,061raised
  • Individuals$268,06135%
  • PACs & committees$498,82065%

Total 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

Norma J. Torres (Democratic)59.5% · 76,029 votes
Mike Cargile (Republican)40.4% · 51,641 votes
Deborah Kristianto (No Party Preference) · write-in0.0% · 27 votes
Source review: Very strong (95/100) · 5 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

Last updated August 11, 2026.