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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 49th 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
Mike Levin
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 · Mike Levin 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.

  • Veterans' care and benefits; the district has one of the largest veteran populations in the country.
  • Removing the 1,700 tons of spent nuclear fuel stored at San Onofre and prioritising removal from environmentally sensitive sites generally.
  • Requiring resident inspectors at decommissioning nuclear plants during sensitive operations.
  • Environmental and coastal protection.
  • Clean energy.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 49th District since January 2019; re-elected in 2024 with 52.2%.
  • Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where he has served as vice chair.
  • Says he has enacted more than two dozen bipartisan laws for veterans, service members and survivors.
  • Received the Veterans of Foreign Wars 2024 Congressional Award for Legislator of the Year.
  • Led bipartisan legislation to prioritise removal of spent nuclear fuel from sites like San Onofre.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary field.

Arguments in favor

  • He votes against the party-line bills his opponents most want him to support, opposing the 2025 tax-and-spending law and the government funding package rather than following the majority.

    — Levin's voting record as catalogued by the National Republican Congressional Committee

  • He holds the seat in a genuinely contested district and answers publicly on national moments, including a detailed response to the 2026 State of the Union.

    — Office of Rep. Mike Levin

Arguments against

  • He "let down middle-class families": he voted against legislation the committee says lowers housing costs and makes homeownership easier, and against a generational rural healthcare investment for California that would have supported rural hospitals.

    — National Republican Congressional Committee

  • He voted to shut down the government by rejecting a funding solution, "freezing paychecks, blocking critical services, and jeopardizing Americans' safety and livelihoods", and against funding the Department of Homeland Security.

    — National Republican Congressional Committee

What we couldn’t verify

  • These characterisations of his votes are the NRCC's own; Levin's explanations of the same votes were not established from the sources found.
  • No criticism of him by name from Armen Kurdian's campaign was found.
  • The district's boundaries changed under Proposition 50, approved in November 2025; how that changes his position was not established from the sources found.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:mikelevin.orglevin.house.govkpbs.orgballotpedia.orgcookpolitical.comnrcc.orgnrcc.orgnrcc.orglevin.house.gov

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Lowering the cost of living.
  • Cutting wasteful federal spending and opposing tax increases.
  • Policies supporting small businesses and job creation.
  • Veterans' care and benefits, and resourcing the military.
  • Congressional term limits.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Retired U.S. Navy captain and naval flight officer; 25 years of service.
  • Senior systems engineer; has worked at Booz Allen Hamilton.
  • Resident of Vista; involved in North County San Diego community organisations.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary ahead of a second Republican.

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 Kurdian by name could be found: not from Mike Levin or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not from north San Diego County or south Orange County news coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
  • His positions and record were not stated in material available.
  • His fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Sources:themidtermproject.orgsdrostra.comkpbs.orgballotpedia.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 incumbent Mike Levin and Republican Armen Kurdian to the November ballot; a second Republican, Star Parker, was eliminated. Proposition 50 moved this coastal North County San Diego and south Orange County district about four points toward Democrats. 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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