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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 37th 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
Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Parties
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 · Sydney Kamlager-Dove 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.

  • Economic justice and land use, two of the four pillars she names for her agenda.
  • Criminal justice: ending solitary confinement in federal custody, support for incarcerated women during pregnancy and childbirth, and grants for reentry centres.
  • Barring federal health agencies from disclosing Medicaid data for immigration enforcement.
  • Arts education grants at minority-serving institutions.
  • A catastrophic property loss reinsurance programme.
  • Foreign policy, including African diaspora engagement and South and Central Asia.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 37th District since January 2023; re-elected in 2024 with 78.3%.
  • Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus; policy co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus; co-chair of the Congressional Brazil Caucus.
  • Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she is ranking member of the South and Central Asia subcommittee, and the House Judiciary Committee.
  • Served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before Congress.
  • Has introduced 22 bills for the district, including on solitary confinement, reentry, Medicaid data privacy and arts education.
  • Helped secure the release of constituent Eyvin Hernandez, a Los Angeles County public defender detained in Venezuela for nearly two years.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary field by double digits.
  • Endorsed by the California Democratic Party.

Arguments in favor

  • She took nearly 54% in a five-candidate all-party primary, well clear of the field, and has been among the Los Angeles leaders speaking out on federal immigration enforcement in the region.

    Primary results reported by NBC News; Office of Rep. Kamlager-Dove

  • She holds the California Democratic Party's endorsement for the general election.

    California Democratic Party 2026 general election endorsements

Arguments against

  • Her campaign's donors include Fox Corporation, Comcast, Home Depot, Amazon, Edison International and Google — corporate money the guide flags as problematic for a member representing this district.

    Progressive Voters Guide

What we couldn’t verify

  • No named critic of Kamlager-Dove was found: not from Samantha Mota's campaign and not from Los Angeles news coverage. The argument above comes from a voter guide's donor screen rather than from an identified critic.
  • This is a same-party contest: California's top-two primary sent two Democrats to the November ballot.
  • 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.

  • Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Member of the Santa Monica Public Safety and Reform Oversight Commission.
  • Community advocate.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Finished second in the June 2, 2026 primary in a nine-candidate field.

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 Mota by name could be found: not from Sydney Kamlager-Dove or her campaign and not from Los Angeles 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.
  • She is a community advocate who has served on the Santa Monica Public Safety and Reform Oversight Commission, and took about 10% in the primary.
  • 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.

This is a race between two Democrats. California's June 2, 2026 top-two primary drew nine candidates in this South Los Angeles district and sent incumbent Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who led by double digits, and Samantha Mota to the November ballot. 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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Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at California Secretary of State.

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