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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 15th congressional district

2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.

Candidates
2
Incumbent
Kevin Mullin
Parties
Republican · Democratic
State primary
Jun 2

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

2 candidates · ballot order · Kevin Mullin currently holds this seat

Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Barring men from competing in women's sports.
  • Term limits for elected officials.
  • Requiring voter identification at elections and cleaning up voter rolls.
  • Expanding apprenticeship programmes in high schools.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Retired UPS supervisor.
  • Resident of San Mateo County for over thirty years; married 31 years with three children.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Took about a quarter of the vote in the June 2, 2026 primary, finishing second to Mullin.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Hoelter by name could be found: not from Kevin Mullin or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from San Mateo County news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
  • He is a retired UPS supervisor and a first-time candidate who has lived in San Mateo County for more than three decades; he took about 25% in the June primary.
  • His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Sources:rwcpulse.comalmanacnews.comnbcnews.comballotpedia.orgrwcpulse.com

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Elections and democracy reform, including all-vote-by-mail, the area he legislated in most as a state lawmaker.
  • Climate resiliency and sea level rise programmes for the Bay shoreline.
  • Transit investment, including Caltrain electrification.
  • Bipartisan cooperation in the House.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 15th District since January 2023; won the seat in 2022 with over 73% of the vote.
  • Member of the California State Assembly, 2012 to 2022; Speaker pro tempore.
  • Signed more than 60 bills into law as a state legislator, concentrated on elections and democracy reform.
  • Helped assemble a $3.7 billion sustainability package covering Caltrain electrification and sea level rise work.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary with close to 60% and far outraised the rest of the field.

Arguments in favor

  • He has more than sixty bills signed into law, many on elections and democracy reform including all-vote-by-mail, and calls himself one of the architects of the $3.7 billion sustainability programme that funded Caltrain electrification and created San Mateo County's OneShoreline sea level rise agency.

    — Kevin Mullin's campaign, reported by the Redwood City Pulse

  • He led the five-candidate June primary with more than 60% of the vote and holds in-person town halls in the district.

    — Primary results reported by the Redwood City Pulse; town hall schedule from his House office

Arguments against

  • He voted in July 2026 for the Massie amendment to cut off aid to Israel — a break with most of his party's leadership that pro-Israel organisations have publicised against the Northern California Democrats who supported it.

    — J. The Jewish News of Northern California, reporting the roll call

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Mullin by name could be found from Charles Hoelter's campaign, from the National Republican Congressional Committee, or from San Mateo County news coverage; the single argument above rests on a recorded vote reported by a Jewish community outlet rather than on a named critic.
  • Mullin's own explanation of that vote was not established from the sources found.
  • The district's boundaries changed under Proposition 50, approved in November 2025; how that changes his position was not established from the sources found.
Sources:rwcpulse.comalmanacnews.comgovtrack.usballotpedia.orgrwcpulse.comjweekly.comkevinmullin.house.gov

Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.

California's June 2, 2026 top-two primary sent Democratic incumbent Kevin Mullin and Republican Charles Hoelter to the November ballot. Mullin led the five-candidate field with close to 60% and Hoelter, the only Republican, took about a quarter. Three other Democrats were eliminated. The district covers San Mateo County and part of San Francisco. Neither candidate is listed with arguments for or against here: no published criticism of either candidate by name from someone opposing them could be found, and setting out a case against one and not the other would tilt the page.

This is one contest on a longer ballot

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