Who's In the Race

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) faces Republican Joe Males in the November 3 general election in California's 25th District. California uses a top-two primary, meaning the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. ​

Ruiz, a physician and Harvard-trained emergency room doctor, has represented the district since 2013. He won the June 2 top-two primary with about 60% of the vote; Males was the runner-up with about 19%.

Males is a Hemet City Council member and mayor pro tem, a Marine Corps veteran who left the service as a sergeant, and founder of a computer networking business he started in 1996.

What They Stand For

Ruiz has proposed protecting Medicare and reducing prescription drug costs for families, according to his campaign website. He's also supported:

  • Expanding Social Security and Medicare while opposing cuts or changes to the retirement age,
  • cutting red tape for businesses and developing clean-energy industries, including Lithium Valley, to create jobs,
  • Addressing Salton Sea pollution to protect local air and drinking water; and
  • A path to citizenship for families and Dreamers alongside border security, according to his official House website.

Males has proposed opposing federal taxes, spending and regulations that raise costs while seeking federal infrastructure funding for the district, according to a Press-Enterprise candidate questionnaire. He's also supported:

  • Reducing federal permitting delays and tying some federal funds to housing approvals to expand starter and workforce housing,
  • Secure borders with efficient legal pathways, a functioning asylum process and consistent enforcement,
  • Opposing cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits while pushing for greater transparency in prescription-drug pricing; and
  • Expanding California offshore energy production with environmental and safety protections in place.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Democratic as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 2. Kalshi traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Ruiz, a 96.09% chance of winning as of Oct. 15.

The district's recent history reinforces that picture. Ruiz won the 2022 general election with about 57% of the vote and the 2024 general with about 56%. Ruiz's vote share fell about 1.1 percentage points between 2022 and 2024, from 57.4% to 56.3%. That slight erosion came even as Democrats expanded their statewide advantage, winning 43 of California's 52 U.S. House seats in 2024, up from 40 in 2022. Democrat Kamala Harris carried California in the 2024 presidential race with about 58% of the vote.

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