The election dust is settling a bit on Orange County’s congressional races.
In all eight of the congressional districts that cover Orange County, The Associated Press has called the race for at least one of the contenders who will be advancing to the general election runoff in November. But as of Friday evening, just who is getting the second spot in three races was still uncertain.
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Here’s a look at where things stand for Orange County’s congressional races as of Friday evening.
CA-38
In California’s 38th Congressional District, Democrat Hilda Solis and Republican Pedro Antonio Casas are advancing to the general election, per The Associated Press.
Solis is a longtime member of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, vying for a return to Congress, where she served multiple terms before joining President Barack Obama’s Cabinet as labor secretary. Representatives for her campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Casas is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army.
“I was very clear that I have a solution to the immigration problem, which will keep wonderful Latinos in the country,” Casas said. “I was very clear that my team includes senior healthcare advisers, who have dealt in the billions of dollars per year, providing healthcare to the military. Under my plan, once we solve the immigration issue through Congress, my plan will provide legal healthcare to immigrants.”
California’s 38th Congressional District includes communities in L.A. County and sweeps down to pick up Yorba Linda in Orange County.
CA-40
One of the most closely watched House races in 2026, California’s 40th Congressional District, pitted two Republican incumbents against each other. And one, Rep. Ken Calvert, is set to advance.
Rep. Young Kim, meanwhile, sits in second place, with Democrat Esther Kim-Varet on her heels in third.
Calvert said his primary success “makes it clear that voters want an effective and consistent conservative who has been with President (Donald) Trump from Day One. I look forward to winning this race in November.”
But Chris Pack, a spokesperson for Kim, said her campaign is confident that she’ll ultimately advance, as more votes are counted, to the general election as well — which would lock out Democrats and continue what has been a vitriolic campaign in this district. Pack said Kim advancing would “put an end to Ken Calvert’s 30-plus years of failing to deliver for the people of Southern California.”
Because mailed ballots, which are still being counted, tend to be from Democratic voters, Kim-Varet hasn’t counted herself out of the race yet.
“It’s an uphill battle, but it’s always been an uphill battle,” Kim-Varet said.
This district represents portions of Orange and Riverside counties, including Villa Park, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo.
CA-41
In California’s 41st Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez and Republican Mitch Clemmons will face off again in the general election this fall, per The Associated Press.
Sánchez is a longtime member of Congress — first elected in 2003 — and chairs the BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
“Voters I talked to were clear about what mattered to them. They wanted to know how I was fighting Trump’s policies driving up costs, his corruption and attacks on our democracy and ICE’s threat to our communities,” Sánchez said. “I focused on my record fighting back, not just my plans for when Democrats take the majority.”
Clemmons is a small business owner who previously ran for a state Senate seat in 2022.
“I’m very pleased with the voter turnout and the current results,” Clemmons said. “Since I have not yet attempted to raise money and have done nearly zero campaigning, the results are fantastic.”
Clemmons acknowledged the race in November would be a bit of an uphill climb — nearly 46% of voters in this district are registered Democrats, while only 26% are Republicans — but said he is “feeling confident we can close that gap by reaching the voters with our message of bringing real and positive change to our district.”
The district spans several communities in L.A. County and covers Brea, La Habra and Los Alamitos in Orange County.
CA-42
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, has advanced out of the primary. But as of Friday, just who will join him isn’t quite apparent yet.
Republicans Brian Burley and Newport Beach chef Noah Von Blom are behind Garcia, with Burley, a Huntington Beach City School District trustee, leading.
Elected to the U.S. House in 2022, Garcia, a former Long Beach mayor, has quickly risen to leadership positions on Capitol Hill. For nearly a year now, the progressive Democrat has served as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, which serves as the primary investigative panel in Congress.
Garcia said he heard a common theme while campaigning in the district ahead of the primary: Voters wanted investments in infrastructure, good government practices and an end to additional drilling off the coast of Orange County.
“I’m looking forward to doing a lot more campaigning across Orange County,” Garcia said. “People have been really great.”
“Even if we might have different political perspectives, I’m going to bring home resources to these cities,” Garcia added. “I think that’s what people want at the end of the day, and they want good government.”
Burley was optimistic about November — even in a district where about 40% of voters are registered Democrats, while another 30% are registered Republicans. And 21% are no party preference voters.
“The whole campaign was about common sense,” Burley said, adding he pointed voters to his record as an elected official without scandal.
“It was a lot of work, and we’re really happy with the result,” Burley said.
A Newport Beach council member, Von Blom is the owner of Arc Restaurants. He is serving as the city’s mayor pro tem and did not respond to a request for comment.
Orange County’s more conservative coastal communities of Huntington Beach and part of Newport Beach were drawn into this new district, along with Long Beach in L.A. County.
CA-45
Another unsettled race is California’s 45th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Derek Tran has sailed through to the general.
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Former Cerritos Mayor Chuong V. Vo held the second-place spot as of Friday, but he was closely followed by Westminster Mayor Chi “Charlie” Nguyen. Both candidates are Republicans.
Tran is an attorney who was first elected to Congress in 2024, defeating incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel. With his election, he became the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange County’s Little Saigon community in Congress.
“This moment isn’t about Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s about fighting for the notion that if you work hard and follow the rules, you should be able to get ahead no matter what neighborhood you come from,” Tran said on election night.
Vo is a retired police officer who has served on the Cerritos City Council. He billed himself as a bit of an outsider in the campaign, being from L.A. County, but said he focused on his experience rather than critiquing any opponents.
Still, he acknowledged the race for that second spot is tight, and votes are still being counted.
“The voters are amazing, and they’re tired of the status quo of the elected officials in Westminster,” Vo said. “I come in with a new perspective. I’m trying to provide my track record of what I’ve done instead of attacking folks. People are tired of negativity.”
Nguyen is an electrical engineer who immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam as a teenager. He did not respond to a request for comment.
This district represents portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, Westminster and Fountain Valley.
CA-46
Democratic Rep. Lou Correa and Republican UC Irvine professor David Pan are headed for a rematch in California’s 46th Congressional District, per The Associated Press.
A longtime elected official in Orange County, Correa has also served in the California Legislature and on the county’s Board of Supervisors.
“I’m blessed to have another opportunity to represent the people of the 46th District,” Correa said. “You never take any election for granted, you never assume you know more than your constituents.”
Pan teaches German at UC Irvine and has worked as a management consultant at McKinsey and Company in Los Angeles. His platform includes phasing out government assistance programs for a universal basic income of $16,000.
“What I did find is people are looking for some kind of change, some real changes, with what’s going on in California and in the country,” Pan said. “I’m addressing some of the real problems we’ve got: the healthcare system, the national debt, the failures of the welfare system. All of this is contributing to affordability issues.”
“I want to get into these conversations that people are interested in, but up until now, there aren’t many politicians who are willing to talk about these hard issues,” he said.
The 46th District includes Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange, Placentia and Santa Ana.
CA-47
Democratic Rep. Dave Min is set to face Republican Jenny Rae Le Roux in the race for California’s 47th Congressional District, according to The Associated Press’ projections.
Min was first elected to Congress in 2024, running for a spot left open by outgoing Rep. Katie Porter. He’s a former state legislator and a lawyer with a background in financial regulation.
“The voters of California’s 47th Congressional District have spoken clearly tonight, and I am honored by their tremendous support,” Min said on election night.
“For the past 18 months, Donald Trump and his Republican allies have engaged in an outrageous and unending assault on our American values, our basic rights and freedoms and our pocketbooks,” Min added. “Orange County residents have joined their fellow Americans around the country in decisively rejecting this agenda and demanding an end to the corruption and lawlessness we are seeing today.”
Le Roux, meanwhile, has a background in the energy and financial services sectors and owns Management Consulted, a private tech-enabled services company, according to her campaign website.
She said she ran a candidacy based on change, calling for reforms that would increase government transparency and curtail fraud.
“What I saw across California was an appetite for change,” Le Roux said. “That resonated with not just Republicans, but also voters outside the party as well, including independents and Democrats.
The politics in the district — which includes Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel and Tustin — are mixed, with 36% of voters registered Democrat, 32% registered as Republican, and 25% no-party preference.
CA-49
In California’s 49th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Mike Levin and Republican Armen Kurdian will face off in the general election, per The Associated Press.
Levin has worked as an attorney specializing in energy and environmental law. In Congress, he sits on the Appropriations Committee.
Levin said he is proud of his accomplishments since being elected in 2018, which he said include passing 35 bipartisan laws that have expanded veterans’ benefits, increased community investments and lowered healthcare costs.
“We’ve delivered over $1 billion in federal investments for community projects that are improving our district and quality of life, but there is a lot more work to be done,” Levin said. “There is much at stake in this election. Voters are aware of the chaos, dysfunction and corruption in Washington, and the most important thing we can do is take back the House of Representatives this November.”
Kurdian is a U.S. Navy veteran who lives in northern San Diego County and said that experience resonated with voters.
“I’m really excited about this chance to move forward. I’m also very honored, but at the same time, I realize it’s very sobering because … this is the future of our country that we’re looking at,” said Kurdian. “It’s very serious, and it’s very important.”
“Broadly speaking, there is a lot of pain and suffering going on right now throughout the state; the 49th is just like everybody else,” he said. “There are cost-of-living issues, issues with education and schools, with jobs and employment, homelessness. It’s pervasive throughout the entire state. Folks want serious solutions.
This district covers parts of San Diego County as well as Ladera Ranch, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.
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Staff writers Mona Darwish and Jeff Horseman contributed to this report.