United States Representative · District 16
California. Election Day was Nov. 3, 2026. Two candidates are on the official list.
Who is running
Sam LiccardoDemocraticUnited States Representative · District 16- Raised
- $3.9M
- Cash on hand
- $2.3M
- In Congress since
- 2025
- Votes attended
- 98.6%
Peter Sundin SouléRepublicanUnited States Representative · District 16- Raised
- $4K
- Cash on hand
- $4K
Certified by California Secretary of State, as of Oct 15, 2026. Official list
Names and parties are copied exactly from the official list. Blue marks Democrats, red marks Republicans, and gray marks every other party or none; each is also labeled in words.
Official vote count
Unofficial results until certified. These are counts as published by California Secretary of State. Counts change as ballots are counted. Power & Politics does not call races or project winners.
| Candidate or choice | Party | Votes | Share of votes counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Liccardo | Dem | 112,647 | 76.0% |
| Peter Sundin Soulé | Rep | 35,604 | 24.0% |
337 of 337 precincts reporting, as stated by California Secretary of State. As reported by California Secretary of State (the source says it was updated November 5, 2026, 9:23 a.m.). Rows are in the order the source lists them, which is not a ranking. Official source · All California results
Worth knowing
- The party winning this district last changed in 1976, when Leon E Panetta (Democratic) won it after a Republican win in 1974. Source: Federal Election Commission, Federal Elections and Clerk of the House of Representatives, Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election and MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. House of Representatives 1976-2024 (compiled from the Clerk of the House)
- The closest result we hold for this district was in 1974: Burt L. Talcott won by 2,066 votes, 1.3 points of all votes counted. Source: Clerk of the House of Representatives, Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election
- 14 different people won the 47 regular elections for this district from 1932 to 2024. Source: Federal Election Commission, Federal Elections and Clerk of the House of Representatives, Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election and MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. House of Representatives 1976-2024 (compiled from the Clerk of the House)
- A candidate with the same name as the 2024 winner, Sam Liccardo, is on the 2026 official list. Source: Clerk of the House of Representatives, Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election
- Two candidates are on the official list for this race. Source: Official list from California Secretary of State
- All 52 U.S. House contests in California on the official list have more than one candidate. Source: Official list from California Secretary of State
Each fact is worked out from the official records linked beside it. None is a prediction or a rating.
Past results
- Democratic candidate
- Republican candidate
District lines are redrawn after each census and sometimes in between, so the same district number did not always cover the same ground. A break in a line means no figure was published or held for that year. It does not mean zero.
Data table: Share of the vote for this district, 1932 to 2024
| Year | Democratic candidate | Republican candidate |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | 54.91% | 45.06% |
| 1934 | 98.78% | No figure |
| 1936 | 57.66% | 42.2% |
| 1938 | No figure | 62.78% |
| 1940 | No figure | 96.22% |
| 1942 | 53.65% | 45.43% |
| 1944 | 54.1% | 45.85% |
| 1946 | 31.63% | 53.87% |
| 1948 | 42.94% | 57.02% |
| 1950 | 40.74% | 59.24% |
| 1952 | 40.24% | 59.7% |
| 1954 | 39.17% | 60.81% |
| 1956 | 39.23% | 60.76% |
| 1958 | 42.19% | 57.81% |
| 1960 | 44.6% | 55.39% |
| 1962 | 71.87% | 28.13% |
| 1964 | 66.76% | 33.23% |
| 1966 | 71.3% | 28.58% |
| 1968 | 62.46% | 35.37% |
| 1970 | 66.42% | 30.62% |
| 1972 | 79.12% | 20.88% |
| 1974 | 47.85% | 49.19% |
| 1976 | 53.42% | 46.58% |
| 1978 | 61.37% | 38.63% |
| 1980 | 71% | 24.51% |
| 1982 | 85.37% | 14.63% |
| 1984 | 70.78% | 27.72% |
| 1986 | 78.38% | 19.2% |
| 1988 | 78.58% | 21.42% |
| 1990 | 74.16% | 22.04% |
| 1992 | 62.01% | 31.97% |
| 1994 | 64.96% | 35.03% |
| 1996 | 65.65% | 30.16% |
| 1998 | 72.82% | 23.42% |
| 2000 | 72.06% | 23.3% |
| 2002 | 67.02% | 29.8% |
| 2004 | 70.89% | 26.33% |
| 2006 | 72.71% | 27.29% |
| 2008 | 71.34% | 24.06% |
| 2010 | 67.82% | 24.29% |
| 2012 | 57.41% | 42.59% |
| 2014 | 50.73% | 49.27% |
| 2016 | 58.03% | 41.97% |
| 2018 | 57.55% | 42.45% |
| 2020 | 59.38% | 40.62% |
| 2022 | 57.77% | No figure |
| 2024 | 58.22% | No figure |
Winners and margins, 1932 to 2024
| Year | Most votes | Margin over the runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sam Liccardo (Democratic) | 50,690 votes (16.4 points) |
| 2022 | Anna G. Eshoo (Democratic) | 37,463 votes (15.5 points) |
| 2020 | Jim Costa (Democratic) | 40,651 votes (18.8 points) |
| 2018 | Jim Costa (Democratic) | 21,573 votes (15.1 points) |
| 2016 | Jim Costa (Democratic) | 26,990 votes (16.1 points) |
| 2014 | Jim Costa (Democratic) | 1,334 votes (1.5 points) |
| 2012 | Jim Costa (Democratic) | 21,848 votes (14.8 points) |
| 2010 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 67,928 votes (43.5 points) |
| 2008 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 97,082 votes (47.3 points) |
| 2006 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 61,799 votes (45.4 points) |
| 2004 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 81,230 votes (44.6 points) |
| 2002 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 40,188 votes (37.2 points) |
| 2000 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 77,905 votes (48.8 points) |
| 1998 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 58,009 votes (49.4 points) |
| 1996 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 50,823 votes (35.5 points) |
| 1994 | Zoe Lofgren (Democratic) | 34,526 votes (29.9 points) |
| 1992 | Don Edwards (Democratic) | 46,818 votes (30.0 points) |
| 1990 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 94,351 votes (52.1 points) |
| 1988 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 129,077 votes (57.2 points) |
| 1986 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 96,765 votes (59.2 points) |
| 1984 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 93,312 votes (43.1 points) |
| 1982 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 118,182 votes (70.7 points) |
| 1980 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 103,685 votes (46.5 points) |
| 1978 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 38,742 votes (22.7 points) |
| 1976 | Leon E Panetta (Democratic) | 13,385 votes (6.8 points) |
| 1974 | Burt L. Talcott (Republican) | 2,066 votes (1.3 points) |
| 1972 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 98,695 votes (58.2 points) |
| 1970 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 51,275 votes (35.8 points) |
| 1968 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 42,281 votes (27.1 points) |
| 1966 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 70,734 votes (42.7 points) |
| 1964 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 59,123 votes (33.5 points) |
| 1962 | B. F. Sisk (Democratic) | 65,938 votes (43.7 points) |
| 1960 | Alphonzo E. Bell, Jr. (Republican) | 16,283 votes (10.8 points) |
| 1958 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 19,108 votes (15.6 points) |
| 1956 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 29,426 votes (21.5 points) |
| 1954 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 22,465 votes (21.6 points) |
| 1952 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 25,790 votes (19.5 points) |
| 1950 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 36,226 votes (18.5 points) |
| 1948 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 29,930 votes (14.1 points) |
| 1946 | Donald L. Jackson (Republican) | 32,313 votes (22.2 points) |
| 1944 | Ellis E. Patterson (Democratic) | 16,135 votes (8.2 points) |
| 1942 | Will Rogers, Jr. (Democratic) | 9,414 votes (8.2 points) |
| 1940 | Leland M. Ford (Republican, Democrat) | 181,032 votes (92.6 points) |
| 1938 | Leland M. Ford (Republican, Democrat) | 64,544 votes (41.6 points) |
| 1936 | John F. Dockweiler (Democratic) | 24,403 votes (15.5 points) |
| 1934 | John F. Dockweiler (Democrat-Republican) | Unopposed |
| 1932 | John F. Dockweiler (Democratic) | 12,615 votes (9.8 points) |
Map
- This race
- Another district
- No figure
Outlines are the Census Bureau's simplified cartographic boundaries, drawn for display, not for legal boundaries. Group names are in the table and in each district's tooltip, not only shown by colour.
Data table: California's U.S. House districts, with District 16 outlined
| District | Contest |
|---|---|
| CA-1 | Another district |
| CA-2 | Another district |
| CA-3 | Another district |
| CA-4 | Another district |
| CA-5 | Another district |
| CA-6 | Another district |
| CA-7 | Another district |
| CA-8 | Another district |
| CA-9 | Another district |
| CA-10 | Another district |
| CA-11 | Another district |
| CA-12 | Another district |
| CA-13 | Another district |
| CA-14 | Another district |
| CA-15 | Another district |
| CA-16 | This race |
| CA-17 | Another district |
| CA-18 | Another district |
| CA-19 | Another district |
| CA-20 | Another district |
| CA-21 | Another district |
| CA-22 | Another district |
| CA-23 | Another district |
| CA-24 | Another district |
| CA-25 | Another district |
| CA-26 | Another district |
| CA-27 | Another district |
| CA-28 | Another district |
| CA-29 | Another district |
| CA-30 | Another district |
| CA-31 | Another district |
| CA-32 | Another district |
| CA-33 | Another district |
| CA-34 | Another district |
| CA-35 | Another district |
| CA-36 | Another district |
| CA-37 | Another district |
| CA-38 | Another district |
| CA-39 | Another district |
| CA-40 | Another district |
| CA-41 | Another district |
| CA-42 | Another district |
| CA-43 | Another district |
| CA-44 | Another district |
| CA-45 | Another district |
| CA-46 | Another district |
| CA-47 | Another district |
| CA-48 | Another district |
| CA-49 | Another district |
| CA-50 | Another district |
| CA-51 | Another district |
| CA-52 | Another district |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary file for the 119th Congress. As of the 119th Congress (2025 to 2027) boundary file.
The outlined district is the one in force for the 119th Congress. A state that redrew its map for 2026 may vote on different lines; the official list above names the contest.
Campaign money
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Liccardo | $3.9M | $1.7M | $2.3M | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Peter Sundin Soulé | $4K | $147 | $4K | Oct 14, 2026 |
Each candidate's own reports to the Federal Election Commission, through the date shown. Candidates not listed have no FEC totals tied to them on our records. Each name links to the candidate's FEC page.
Headlines that name a candidate in this race
No headline from the outlets we follow has named a candidate in this race together with California in the last 30 days.
Headlines are shown as each outlet published them, with a link to the outlet. A headline appears here only when it names a candidate's full name and the state, or comes from a newsroom in the state. They are the outlets' reporting, not Power & Politics findings.
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