$1.7M raised through 2026-06-30
Full profileThe CA-24 contest
California’s 24th Congressional District has a contested U.S. House election on Nov. 3, 2026. Salud O. Carbajal, the Democratic incumbent, and Sarah Bacon, also a Democrat, are the two candidates in the general election.
Because both candidates have the same party designation, the party label does not distinguish them on the ballot. The clearest stated differences at this stage are that Carbajal is the incumbent and that the candidates have reported substantially different fundraising and spending totals.
The winner will represent District 24 in the U.S. House. This is a contested race because more than one candidate is seeking the seat; it is not an uncontested election in which only one name is presented to voters.
The candidates
Salud O. Carbajal, Democrat: Carbajal is the incumbent in the 24th District race. His incumbent status means he is the candidate who currently holds the House seat. He enters the general election with a campaign that has reported raising $1,650,355.41 and spending $910,621.09.
Sarah Bacon, Democrat: Bacon is the other Democratic candidate in the 24th District contest. She is competing with Carbajal for the same House seat in the Nov. 3 general election. Her campaign has reported raising $41,865.41 and spending $36,765.72.
Both candidates receive equal placement in the central choice before voters: each is seeking the single House seat for CA-24. Carbajal’s incumbency and the campaigns’ financial activity offer points of comparison, but neither fundraising nor spending determines the election result. That decision belongs to voters casting ballots in the district.
Campaign money in the race
The campaigns enter the contest with sharply different financial totals. Carbajal has reported $1,650,355.41 raised and $910,621.09 spent. Bacon has reported $41,865.41 raised and $36,765.72 spent.
Fundraising shows how much money a campaign has brought in, while spending shows how much it has used. Those figures can help voters understand the scale of each campaign’s operation, but they do not establish how residents will vote or which candidate will prevail.
The same principle applies to incumbency. Carbajal’s status identifies him as the current officeholder, while Bacon is seeking the seat without that designation. Incumbency is part of the race’s context, not a forecast of its outcome.
What voters are deciding
The Nov. 3 election will decide who represents California’s 24th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Since both candidates are Democrats, voters cannot use party affiliation alone to separate their choices. Candidate records, campaign communications and any positions presented during the election can become central to how voters compare them.
The campaign’s next stages can also bring updated financial filings and additional information about how each candidate is organizing for the general election. Voters can follow those developments through Election Day while weighing the two candidates individually rather than treating the contest as a choice between party labels.
