Federal · Statewide General Election
United States Representative, District 49
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
- Armen Kurdian — Republican
- Mike Levin — Democratic
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
Representative Mike Levin took 55.9% of the June 2 vote and Republican Armen Kurdian took 26.1% to claim the second slot. The district covers coastal north San Diego County and part of south Orange 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 has 5 career laws — among the stronger records in the delegation — and raised $3.16 million with 81% of it from named individuals. His challenger raised under $59,000. The practical question is what this district gets from a seat held comfortably, in a district that has been competitive in past cycles.
Mike Levin
Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 2019. He has sponsored 25 bills in the 119th Congress, and 5 of his career bills have become law — among the stronger counts in the delegation. He raised $3,164,023, of which $2,555,547 came from individuals.
Strengths
Five career laws is a strong House record, and 81% of a large campaign came from named individuals rather than committees.
Trade-offs
$3.16 million is a large sum against an opponent with $58,784.
Keep in mind
A 56% primary is comfortable, though this district has been closely contested in past cycles.
Armen Kurdian
Republican, who advanced with 26.1% of the June vote. He raised $58,784, mostly from individuals with $13,613 of his own money. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.
Strengths
He took more than a quarter of the vote on under $59,000.
Trade-offs
That total is under two percent of the incumbent's, 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
Mike Levin (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 2019 and has sponsored 25 bills in the 119th Congress; 5 of their career bills have become law. Armen Kurdian 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
Levin — Committees: Appropriations Levin — HR 5985 (2024): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 517 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside, California, as the "Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building". Levin — HR 7939 (2023): Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022 Levin — HR 3665 (2022): To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Diego, California, as the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and to support the designation of a component of such medical center in honor of Kathleen Bruyere. 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
- Party
- Self-funding
Armen Kurdian
$58,784 raised
- Individuals$42,01774%
- PACs & committees$1,0002%
- Self-funding$13,61324%
Mike Levin
$3,164,023 raised
- Individuals$2,555,54787%
- PACs & committees$391,09813%
- Party$1,687<1%
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.