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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 25th 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
Raul Ruiz
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 · Raul Ruiz currently holds this seat

Low confidenceLow confidenceOnly one weak source, dated material, or indirect evidence. Treat specifics with caution.What would raise it: An official filing record and at least one independent report about this candidate would raise this.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Reducing gas taxes and rolling back regulations to lower costs for families.
  • Stronger border enforcement and adherence to legal immigration processes.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Mayor pro tem of Hemet and a member of the city council.
  • U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
  • Raised $885,538 through the primary period, second in the field.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary.

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 Males by name could be found: not from Raul Ruiz or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from Coachella Valley 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.
  • His positions and record were not stated in material available.
  • His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Sources:nbcpalmsprings.comballotpedia.orgdeserttrumpet.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Pushing back on federal tariff policies he says raise prices.
  • Greater accountability and oversight of immigration enforcement.
  • Health care access, the field he came from.
  • Cost of living for Coachella Valley households.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative since January 2013; re-elected in 2024 with 56.3%.
  • Emergency physician by profession.
  • Raised about $1.8 million through the primary period, the most in the field.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary.

Arguments in favor

  • An emergency physician before Congress, he has pressed the Department of Homeland Security in writing for transparency over immigration operations in the Coachella Valley, calling them "indiscriminate" and "racially motivated".

    — Office of Rep. Raul Ruiz, reported by KVCR

  • He legislates on the things this district actually runs on, including a push in March 2026 to make large outdoor concerts and music festivals safer for fans, artists and workers.

    — Office of Rep. Raul Ruiz

Arguments against

  • His campaign's donors include Sempra Energy, Edison International, UnitedHealth Group, AT&T and Walmart — the corporate interests his district's residents deal with as utility customers and patients.

    — Progressive Voters Guide, which flags those contributions as problematic

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Ruiz by name from Joe Males's campaign, from the National Republican Congressional Committee, or from Coachella Valley news coverage was found; the argument above comes from a progressive voter guide's donor screen rather than from a named critic.
  • Ruiz's response to the donor criticism 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:nbcpalmsprings.comballotpedia.orgballotpedia.orgcookpolitical.comkvcrnews.orgprogressivevotersguide.comruiz.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 Raul Ruiz and Republican Joe Males to the November ballot from a four-candidate field. The district was redrawn under Proposition 50 and now takes in most of the Coachella Valley — Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Coachella, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs — along with Hemet and the inland communities. 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

A California ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.

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