Review note: Robert Garcia campaign site may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- 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
- robertgarcia.house.gov (opens in a new tab)Rep. Robert Garcia — About (career, education, committee record)
- robertgarcia.com (opens in a new tab)Robert Garcia campaign site — About (biography and stated priorities)
- lbpost.com (opens in a new tab)Long Beach Post — Long Beach congressman to help lead impeachment inquiry of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
- lbpost.com (opens in a new tab)Long Beach Post — Long Beach congressman may get huge power to antagonize Trump if Democrats take midterms
- hbcsd.us (opens in a new tab)Huntington Beach City School District — Board of Trustees, Brian Burley bio
- 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 September 24, 2026.
Federal
United States Representative, District 42
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Robert Garcia took 56.5% of the June 2 vote. Republican Brian Burley took 20.6% to advance. The district covers Long Beach and part of the South Bay.
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 raised $2.6 million with three-quarters of it from individuals, an unusually individual-funded profile at that scale. His challenger is largely self-financed. The practical question is what this district gets from a seat held comfortably.
Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia immigrated from Peru at age five. He became a U.S. citizen in his twenties, which he calls his proudest moment. He founded the Long Beach Post, a local news site. He later taught communication and public policy at USC and other local colleges. He served on the Long Beach City Council, then as mayor from 2014 to 2022. As mayor he started a tuition-free community college program and a basic income pilot. He has represented this district in Congress since 2023. In 2025 fellow House Democrats elected him the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee.
He says his mother brought him to this country and risked everything so he could succeed. He says he is running so every kid gets the same shot she and this country gave him. In January 2026 he called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign. He said he would help lead an impeachment inquiry into her department's contracts and immigration enforcement if she did not resign. Noem did not resign, and the administration defended her record.
He promises to keep investigating what he calls corruption in the Trump administration, if Democrats win the House majority. That would include government contracts, vaccine programs and lobbying rules. His site lists port pollution, gun violence and government accountability among his priorities. He says Americans need to step up to protect democratic institutions.
Brian Burley
Brian Burley is a Huntington Beach City School District trustee and the Republican candidate for this seat. He has worked in higher education at USC for more than a decade, managing online learning systems for two of its schools. He holds a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees from USC. Before joining the school board he ran a small business in Huntington Beach. He was also active in local advocacy on parental rights and local control in schools. Voters elected him to the school board in November 2024.
No source stating why he is running for Congress could be located. The one documented fact on the record is his 2024 election to the school board. He won after advocating for parental rights and local control over curriculum.
No campaign website or platform statement for his congressional run could be located.
Record in office
Brian Burley has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress; these records cover only those offices. Robert Garcia (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 2023 and has sponsored 21 bills in the 119th Congress; 1 of their career bills have become law. Per Congress.gov and the public-domain congress-legislators roster, retrieved 2026-09-21.
Financial info
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
- Self-funding
Brian Burley
$231,371 raised
- Individuals$44,85719%
- Self-funding$186,00081%
Robert Garcia
$2,615,120 raised
- Individuals$1,958,61276%
- PACs & committees$625,68324%
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 2026-09-21.