The Winner
If you live in California's 36th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Ted Lieu (D-CA), who was declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to the Associated Press. Lieu took about 72.8 percent of the vote to about 27.2 percent for Republican Houston Brignano, a margin of about 46 points or about 137,307 votes, according to the state's official results as of Nov. 11.
The winner rests on the Associated Press call, and the vote figures are preliminary because the results are not yet certified. The seat stays in Democratic hands.
The Race
Brignano, the Republican opponent, reached the Nov. 3 ballot by advancing from the June 2 top-two primary, where he received about 35,851 votes. Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid D, and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democrat.
The district has about 738,900 residents, according to geographic data for the district. Its median household income is about $130,600, and its median age is about 40. About 67 percent of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the population is about 55.8 percent white, 18.6 percent Asian, 16.6 percent Hispanic, and 4.2 percent Black, with an unemployment rate of about 6.6 percent and about 8.9 percent of residents below the poverty line.
The district sits in Los Angeles County, according to the California Senate Office of Demographics. It includes all or parts of Los Angeles, its largest city, along with Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Torrance and Beverly Hills.
What's Next
Lieu is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027. CBS News reported on Nov. 11 that Lieu is poised to become chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
---
AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article