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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 3rd 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
Open seat
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 · open 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 access, the issue he campaigns on first as a doctor.
  • Protecting Medicare and Social Security.
  • Wildfire prevention and forest resilience in the Sierra counties the new district takes in.
  • Protecting Lake Tahoe.
  • Energy and environment policy.
  • Women's rights, including abortion access.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the Sacramento area since January 2013, currently for the 6th District.
  • Physician; served as chief medical officer for Sacramento County before entering Congress.
  • Is not the incumbent for this district as drawn: the 3rd District's current member is Kevin Kiley, who is running in the new 6th District.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary alongside Robb Tucker.
  • Reported roughly $2 million in cash on hand during the primary campaign.

Arguments in favor

  • He is a doctor and a former Sacramento County chief medical officer, which is the background the district needs while federal health coverage is being cut: "As a doctor and public servant, my focus has always been helping families thrive."

    — Ami Bera's campaign

  • He has been endorsed for re-election by the Sacramento Bee editorial board and by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber's political action committee — a business group backing a Democrat, which his side reads as evidence he works across party lines.

    — The Sacramento Bee editorial board and the Sacramento Metro Chamber's Metro PAC

Arguments against

  • He backed a Republican proposal to cut $20 billion from food assistance, in a district where more than 23,000 households rely on it, and has worked against proposals to wind down troop deployments and restrain military spending.

    — Progressive Scorecard, in its assessment of his voting record

  • The California Labor Federation withheld its endorsement from him over his trade record — he was one of only three incumbent Democrats facing no serious opposition to be denied it — after his vocal support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

    — The California Labor Federation, as reported by Progressive Scorecard

What we couldn’t verify

  • His campaign site lists issue headings but little detail; specific positions on the Sierra counties' forest-management and federal-lands questions were not stated in material available.
  • The two criticisms above are drawn from an assessment of his overall voting record rather than from this cycle's campaign; no 2026-specific attack material from his Republican opponent or from the National Republican Congressional Committee could be found.
  • His response to the food assistance and trade criticisms has not been published in the material found.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:beraforcongress.comabc10.comballotpedia.orgcookpolitical.combera.house.govprogressivescore.comberaforcongress.combusiness.metrochamber.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Public safety, which his campaign lists first among its issues.
  • Support for small businesses and job creation.
  • Balancing growth and development against agriculture and rural quality of life.
  • Local control over land use in the foothill counties.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Nevada County supervisor for the 2nd district since January 2025.
  • Former small business owner in Nevada County.
  • Reported raising approximately $227,000 through the primary period.
  • Endorsed by the California Republican Party and by the county Republican central committees across the district, which backed him unanimously.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary.

Arguments in favor

  • "As a Nevada County Supervisor, I have stood up for conservative solutions to protect public safety, support small businesses, create jobs, and protect our quality of life" — and he would offer the foothill counties an alternative to state policy from Sacramento.

    — Robb Tucker, in his campaign launch statement

  • He was endorsed unanimously by the Republican central committees of all four counties in the district — Nevada, Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento — as well as by the California Republican Party and Rep. Kevin Kiley.

    — The California Republican Party, the four county Republican central committees, and Rep. Kevin Kiley

Arguments against

  • He pulled a Pride Month proclamation off the county consent agenda and then abstained rather than voting, after having supported numerous other symbolic proclamations in his first months in office: "If he believes a proclamation is inappropriate, misguided or not consistent with his values, take a stand and vote against it."

    — Pascale Fusshoeller, editor of YubaNet, in a signed commentary

What we couldn’t verify

  • His campaign site sets out three broad issue areas without federal specifics — his positions on health care, immigration, tariffs and federal spending were not stated in material available.
  • Only one published criticism of Tucker by name could be found. He announced this campaign roughly halfway through his first term in his first elected office, which local coverage has noted, but no critic was found making that an argument on the record.
  • No attack material about him from his opponent's campaign or from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee could be found.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:robbtucker.comrobbtucker.comtheunion.comabc10.comballotready.orgyubanet.comyubanet.comcalmatters.org

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 Rep. Ami Bera and Republican Nevada County Supervisor Robb Tucker to the November ballot; the Associated Press and ABC10 called both places. Proposition 50 redrew this district substantially — it now takes in much of Nevada, Placer and El Dorado counties while reaching west into the city of Sacramento and Rancho Cordova, and carries a D+6 lean. Bera currently represents the 6th District and is running here under the new lines. Tucker led narrowly on primary election night.

This is one contest on a longer ballot

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