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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 39th 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
Mark Takano
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 · Mark Takano 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.

  • Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Lake Elsinore city councilmember; served as mayor of Lake Elsinore.
  • Business owner.
  • Took 44% in the June 2, 2026 primary as the only Republican in the field.
  • Has not held federal office.

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 Manos by name could be found: not from Mark Takano or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from Riverside County news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
  • His positions and record were not stated in material available.
  • His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Sources:ballotpedia.orgnbcnews.comlocalcandidates.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Veterans' health care and benefits, the committee he has led for his party.
  • Public education and community colleges, the field he came from.
  • Labour and workforce policy, including a shorter standard work week.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative since January 2013; re-elected in 2024 with 56.7%.
  • Ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs; chaired it from 2019 to 2023.
  • Public school teacher and trustee of the Riverside Community College District before Congress.
  • Took 56% in the June 2, 2026 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 Takano by name could be found, and because this guide will not print a case for one candidate that no one has answered, his column is left empty rather than one-sided. The search covered his general election opponent's campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee, Veterans' Affairs Committee Republicans, Riverside-area news coverage and his own primary; every result was criticism he made of others rather than criticism of him.
  • As ranking Democrat on Veterans' Affairs he has argued the VA "cannot deliver more care with fewer doctors, cannot process more claims with fewer examiners, and cannot strengthen VA by shrinking it", opposed a Republican bid to change veterans' disability benefits, and pressed for subpoenas of Oracle executives over the electronic health record programme's cost overruns. That record is in his profile.
  • 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:govtrack.usballotpedia.orgballotpedia.orgnbcnews.comdemocrats-veterans.house.govdemocrats-veterans.house.govstripes.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 Mark Takano, with 56%, and Republican Steve Manos, with 44%, to the November ballot. The district covers Riverside County communities including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris. 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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