Who's In the Race

Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) faces Republican Mike Cargile in the Nov. 3 general election in California's 35th District. The contest is a rematch: Torres defeated Cargile in the 2024 general election. ​

Torres has served in the House since 2015, previously worked as a 911 dispatcher, and served in the California State Senate before coming to Congress. Cargile is co-founder of the San Bernardino County Patriots and co-creator of the Tri-County Sheriff's Forum, and has worked as a filmmaker and president of Big Event Pictures.

What They Stand For

Torres has proposed legislation to guarantee legal representation for immigrants facing immigration-court hearings, according to her official House website. She's also supported:

  • education and student loans,
  • Energy and environmental policy,
  • health care; and
  • Opposing what she describes as corruption and overreach by the Trump administration.

Cargile has proposed stricter border security rooted in what his campaign describes as biblical and legal principles, according to his campaign website. He's also supported:

  • Parental rights in education,
  • Congressional term limits; and
  • Opposing open-border immigration policies, according to his Smarter.Vote candidate profile.

The Money Behind the Race

As of June 30, Norma Torres had raised about $769,000 and had about $339,000 cash on hand, while Mike Cargile had raised $4,759 and had $2,873 on hand. Cargile carried about $12,960 in debt through that same date, more than twice his total receipts.

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. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Torres, a 98.96% chance of winning as of Oct. 14.

Torres won the district with about 57% in 2022 and about 58% in 2024. California's congressional delegation has leaned heavily Democratic in both recent cycles: Democrats won 43 of the state's 52 U.S. House seats in 2024, and 40 of 52 in 2022. Kamala Harris carried California in the 2024 presidential election with about 58% of the vote.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article