$57K raised through 2026-06-30
Full profileCalifornia’s 5th Congressional District has two Democratic candidates in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election: Paul Danbom and Michael James Mr. Barkley. The contest will determine who represents CA-5 in the U.S. House.
Both candidates have reported raising and spending campaign money. Barkley has reported higher fundraising and spending totals, while Danbom’s reported amount raised matches his reported amount spent. A cash-on-hand figure is not listed for either candidate.
The CA-5 field
Danbom and Barkley are the two candidates in the contested general election. Both are identified as Democrats, so party affiliation does not distinguish the candidates in this race.
No documented policy positions are listed for either candidate. That means the race cannot yet be compared through stated positions on legislation, federal spending or other matters that could come before the U.S. House.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The candidates’ campaign activity and any policy positions they set out will help define the choice before Election Day.
Paul Danbom
Paul Danbom is running as a Democrat. No candidate biography is listed.
Danbom has reported raising $20,030 and spending $20,030. Those totals are equal, meaning his reported spending matches his reported fundraising. No cash-on-hand amount is listed.
Danbom has no documented policy positions in the race. His candidacy is therefore defined by his place on the general election ballot and his reported campaign finance activity, rather than a recorded set of issue positions.
Michael James Mr. Barkley
Michael James Mr. Barkley is running as a Democrat. No candidate biography is listed.
Barkley has reported raising $57,194.89 and spending $58,728.70. His reported spending is more than his reported fundraising. No cash-on-hand amount is listed.
Barkley has no documented policy positions in the race. His candidacy is therefore defined by his place on the general election ballot and his reported campaign finance activity, rather than a recorded set of issue positions.
What is contested
The central question in CA-5 is which of the two Democratic candidates voters will select for the U.S. House seat. Because both candidates share the same party identification and neither has documented policy positions, the current distinctions are their names and campaign finance totals.
Barkley has reported raising more than Danbom and spending more. Those figures describe campaign activity; they do not establish where either candidate stands on policy or how voters will decide.
The next points of comparison will be whether the candidates state positions on federal issues, add biographical information or report further fundraising and spending. The election remains scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
