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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 28th 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
Judy Chu
Parties
Democratic · Republican
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 · Judy Chu 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.

  • Health care policy and the safety net, through her seats on the Ways and Means health, worker and family support, and oversight subcommittees.
  • Copyright protections for the creative industries.
  • Small business development in the San Gabriel Valley.
  • Social Security and Medicare, within her committee's jurisdiction.
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative since 2009; re-elected in 2024 with 64.9%.
  • Member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee.
  • Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; founder and co-chair of the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus.
  • Passed a congressional resolution of regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
  • Worked with President Obama to designate the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument.
  • Required the Department of Defense to address military hazing.
  • Established two Small Business Development Centers in the San Gabriel Valley and revived the Small Business Administration's 504 loan refinance programme.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary field.

Arguments in favor

  • She is counted among the thirty or so most progressive members of the House, supporting Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, and carries the endorsements of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the California Teachers Association, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, California Environmental Voters and Reproductive Freedom for All.

    Progressive Voters Guide

  • Members of both parties defended her when her loyalty was publicly questioned: the Republican chair of the House China panel, Mike Gallagher, said "we should not question anybody's loyalty to the United States", and the Democratic leader called the accusation "dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic".

    Rep. Mike Gallagher and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, reported by CBS News and NBC News

Arguments against

  • "I'm really disappointed and shocked that someone like Judy Chu would have a security clearance and be entitled to confidential intelligence briefings until this is figured out... I question her either loyalty or competence" — over her defence of Dominic Ng, a Biden appointee alleged to have ties to a Chinese Communist Party front group.

    Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), on Fox News. Members of both parties, including the Republican chair of the House China panel, condemned the remarks as out of bounds and xenophobic

What we couldn’t verify

  • That exchange dates from February 2023; no criticism of Chu by name from April Verlato's campaign, from the National Republican Congressional Committee, or from San Gabriel Valley news coverage was found for this cycle.
  • Her committee assignments were not established from the sources found.
  • The district's boundaries changed under Proposition 50, approved in November 2025; how that changes her position was not established from the sources found.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Fiscal responsibility and reducing the national debt.
  • Support for law enforcement and public safety.
  • Market-driven health care solutions.
  • Border security and national security.
  • Veterans' needs, including more veteran clinics and a major medical centre in the San Gabriel Valley.
  • Addressing homelessness and reviving business activity in the San Gabriel Valley.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Arcadia city councilmember from 2016 and mayor from 2020.
  • Attorney and businesswoman; political science degree from UCLA and law degree from Southwestern Law School.
  • Republican candidate against Chu in the 2024 general election; lost.
  • 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 Verlato by name could be found: not from Judy Chu or her campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from San Gabriel Valley news coverage. Because no case against her exists on the record, none is presented for her either, rather than showing her own campaign's case unanswered.
  • Her positions and record were not stated in material available.
  • Her fundraising totals were not reported in material available.

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 Judy Chu and Republican April Verlato to the November ballot; two other candidates were eliminated. This is a rematch of the 2024 general election in this San Gabriel Valley district, which Chu won with 64.9%. 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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