2026 Election Results: In California’s open 26th congressional district, Jacqui Irwin jumps to an early lead
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, continued to maintain a sizable lead in this open House race, based on partial vote tallies for the primary election, which the California secretary of state’s office updated just after 5:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Rep. Julia Brownley has represented the 26th Congressional District — which includes portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties — for the past nearly 14 years. But she’s decided to retire and earlier this year endorsed Irwin— who can’t run for the Assembly again due to term limits — as her successor.
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See the latest vote counts
Not having an incumbent in this race left the door wide open for a slew of people to toss their hats in the ring.
Other candidates include Democrats Chris Espinosa, a federal policy advisor; businessman Liam Andres O’Neill Hernandez; physician Sonia Kacker; and Sasan Samadzadeh, a construction inspector and caretaker.
On the Republican side, the candidates are Sam Gallucci, a business execu…