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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 33rd 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
Pete Aguilar
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 · Pete Aguilar 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.

  • The high cost of living — groceries, health care and housing — which he calls the biggest issue facing the district.
  • Infrastructure investment and road and bridge repair.
  • Expanding affordable housing.
  • Community safety.
  • Veterans' services.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative since January 2015; re-elected in 2024 with 58.8%.
  • Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
  • Member of the House Appropriations Committee.
  • Mayor of Redlands and a Redlands city councilmember before Congress.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary field.

Arguments in favor

  • He chairs the House Democratic Caucus, the third-ranking position in his party's House leadership, elected to it unopposed in 2022 and re-elected in 2024, and speaks for the caucus on the affordability argument it is running on.

    — House Democratic Caucus

  • He argues Democrats are doing the work in the minority that the majority is not: "Republicans are ready to spend, spend, spend, just not on anything that will make life more affordable for you."

    — Pete Aguilar, as Democratic Caucus chair

Arguments against

  • Progressives are "furious" at the leadership's proposal to penalise members who vote with Republicans, partly because moderates in swing districts are exempt from paying DCCC dues — "they hold CPC to a different standard."

    — Congressional Progressive Caucus members, reported by Axios

  • He and House Democratic leadership pushed to install a "placeholder" Democrat in a vacant California seat rather than let a contested selection run, which drew scrutiny from progressives in the state.

    — Progressive Democrats, reported by CNN

What we couldn’t verify

  • Aguilar's response to the Progressive Caucus criticism was not established from the sources found.
  • No National Republican Congressional Committee page about him by name was found, and no criticism of him from his general election opponent.
  • 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:communityforwardredlands.comgovtrack.usballotpedia.orgballotpedia.orgaxios.comedition.cnn.comdemocrats.house.gov

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Lowering the cost of living, starting with energy costs.
  • Permitting reform and modernising the electricity grid.
  • Public safety.
  • Affordable housing.
  • Veterans' services and government accountability.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Chief deputy clerk in local government.
  • Lifelong resident of the 33rd District, from San Bernardino.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary; the Associated Press called her second-place finish.

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 Vargas by name could be found: not from Pete Aguilar or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from Inland Empire 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.
Sources:communityforwardredlands.comwtop.comballotpedia.orgnbcnews.com

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 Pete Aguilar and Republican Stephanie Vargas to the November ballot; the Associated Press called Vargas's second-place finish. The district covers San Bernardino, Redlands and the surrounding Inland Empire. 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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