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Federal · Statewide General Election

United States Representative, District 51

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 Sara Jacobs took 57.7% of the June 2 vote and Republican Ricardo Cabrera took 37.0%. The district covers part of San Diego and its eastern suburbs.

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 served since 2021 and raised $1.64 million, a portion of it her own money. Her opponent reported no funding and still took 37% of the vote. The practical question is what this district gets from a seat held comfortably.

Sara Jacobs

Democrat, the sitting Representative for this district since 2021. She has sponsored 30 bills in the 119th Congress, and 1 of her career bills has become law. She raised $1,639,893, including $414,676 from individuals, $207,250 from PACs and committees and a portion of her own money.

Strengths

Five years of federal service, a solid legislative workload, and comparatively modest committee funding at $207,250.

Trade-offs

A meaningful share of her campaign is self-financed rather than raised, and one career law is a thin enacted return.

Keep in mind

A 58% primary is a fact about this district's registration as much as about her record.

Ricardo Cabrera

Republican, who took 37.0% 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 took more than a third of the vote with no reported campaign funding at all.

Trade-offs

No money 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

Sara Jacobs (Democratic) has served in the U.S. House since 2021 and has sponsored 30 bills in the 119th Congress; 1 of their career bills have become law. Ricardo Cabrera 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

Jacobs — Committees: Armed Services; Foreign Affairs Jacobs — HR 9308 (2022): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6401 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, California, as the "Susan A. Davis Post Office". Committee assignments and the most recently signed-into-law bills each record-holder lead-authored, from the official legislative record.

Financial info

Sara Jacobs

$1,639,893raised
  • Individuals$414,67627%
  • PACs & committees$207,25013%
  • Self-funding$929,34760%

Ricardo Cabrera has no fundraising on file with the FEC.

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

Sara Jacobs (Democratic)57.7% · 111,765 votes
Ricardo Cabrera (Republican)37.0% · 71,692 votes
David W Engel (Democratic)3.2% · 6,173 votes
Stan Caplan (Democratic)2.0% · 3,943 votes
Source review: Very strong (95/100) · 5 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

Last updated August 11, 2026.