Who's In the Race

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) faces Republican Cristian Morales in the November 3 general election in California's 43rd Congressional District, a race conducted under California's top-two primary system, which sends the two highest vote-getters to the general election regardless of party. ​

Waters has represented California in the U.S. House since 1991, previously serving in the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991, and became the first woman and first African American to chair the House Financial Services Committee. Morales is a manufacturing executive and vice president of operations who lives in Torrance; he immigrated from Guatemala in 1979 and became a U.S. citizen in 1999.

In the nonpartisan top-two primary on June 2, Waters took about 64 percent of the vote; Morales was the runner-up with about 17 percent. Morales advanced to the general election with about 17 percent of the primary vote, edging out Myla Rahman, who received about 15 percent. The district's boundaries also changed under Proposition 50, and the new congressional map applies to both the primary and general-election ballots.

What They Stand For

Waters supports expanding affordable housing and supply, and in a 2026 Daily Breeze questionnaire she wrote, "Need more affordable housing," and pointed to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. She's also supported:

  • Medicare for All, lower prescription-drug costs, and strengthening and expanding Medicaid,
  • Comprehensive immigration legislation that weighs work history, time in the United States, military service, and other circumstances, with enforcement consistent with the Constitution,
  • Prioritizing community, environmental, and safety concerns over data-center development; and
  • Opposing expanded oil drilling off California's coast.

Morales has proposed conditioning Community Development Block Grant funding on localities meeting housing-permit approval targets and timelines, according to the Daily Breeze questionnaire. He's also supported:

  • Tax relief for tips, overtime, seniors, and state and local taxes, along with policies to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States,
  • Prioritizing immigration applicants who have followed legal procedures, along with border security and deportation of many people without legal status,
  • Strict limits or prohibition on mass use of automatic license-plate readers, including warrant requirements, short data-retention periods, audits, and no commercial sharing; and
  • Expanding domestic energy production, including offshore drilling, with regulation and safety protections.

The Money Behind the Race

Through June 30, Waters had raised about $864,000 and had about $270,000 in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings; Morales has reported no fundraising. Waters carried about $212,000 in debt through that same period, roughly a quarter of her total receipts. Outside groups spent about $12,667 supporting Waters, with Making California First accounting for about $12,657 of that total.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Every major race-rating service views this contest as a safe Democratic hold. Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Democratic as of Oct. 19; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Waters, a 98% chance of winning as of Oct. 20.

Waters won the district with about 75 percent of the vote in 2024 and about 77 percent in 2022, a drop of about two percentage points between cycles. In 2022, Democrats won 40 of the state's 52 U.S. House seats, while Republicans won 12. In the 2024 presidential race, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris carried California with about 58 percent of the vote.

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