Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 43
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
- Maxine Waters — Democratic
- Cristian Morales — Republican
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Maxine Waters took 63.8% of the June 2 vote and Republican Cristian Morales took 16.9% to claim the second slot. Waters has held this seat since 1991 — the longest tenure of any candidate on this ballot. The district covers south Los Angeles and neighbouring communities.
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 thirty-five years of it is the deepest any candidate on this ballot can offer.
Thirty-five years of seniority is the central fact here, and it cuts both ways: it buys committee standing no newcomer could match, and it means this district has had the same representation since 1991. Her opponent has reported no funding. Weigh the value of that seniority on its own terms.
Maxine Waters
Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 1991 — the longest-serving candidate on this ballot. She has sponsored 46 bills in the 119th Congress, among the highest counts in the delegation, and 3 of her career bills have become law. She raised $863,683.
Strengths
Thirty-five years of seniority and a very high current legislative workload at 46 bills sponsored.
Trade-offs
About half of her funding came from PACs and committees rather than individuals.
Keep in mind
Long tenure is both accumulated influence and a long time for one district to be represented by one person; which matters more is your judgment.
Cristian Morales
Republican, who advanced with 16.9% of the June vote. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress. Federal filings show no contributions reported for his committee.
Strengths
He gave this district a contested November ballot rather than an uncontested one.
Trade-offs
No reported funding and no record in office leaves very little for a voter to evaluate beyond party.
Keep in mind
Coverage surfaced almost no biographical or platform detail about him. That gap is what was available to us on 2026-08-10, not a comment on his candidacy.
Record in office
Maxine Waters (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 1991 and has sponsored 46 bills in the 119th Congress; 3 of their career bills have become law. Cristian Morales 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
Waters — Committees: Financial Services Waters — HR 5569 (2010): National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 Waters — HR 4573 (2010): Haiti Debt Relief and Earthquake Recovery Act of 2010 Waters — HR 289 (2005): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8200 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California, as the Sergeant First Class John Marshall 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
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
Maxine Waters
$863,683 raised
- Individuals$338,65746%
- PACs & committees$400,50054%
1Cristian Morales has no fundraising on file with the FEC.
2Total 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.