California's 36th Congressional District election, 2016
The36th Congressional District of California held an election for theU.S. House of Representatives onNovember 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpediarated this race as safely Democratic. IncumbentRaul Ruiz (D) defeatedJeff Stone (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Ruiz and Stone defeatedStephan Wolkowicz (R) in thetop-two primary on June 7, 2016.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: California uses atop-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[6][7]
Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top-two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round of elections.
As of October 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system for some or all statewide primaries.See here for more information.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent wasRaul Ruiz (D), who was first elected in 2012.
As of the2010 redistricting cycle,California's 36th Congressional District was located in the southeastern portion of thestate and included most of Riverside County.[8]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Raul RuizIncumbent | 62.1% | 144,348 | |
| Republican | Jeff Stone | 37.9% | 88,269 | |
| Total Votes | 232,617 | |||
| Source:California Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raul RuizIncumbent | 58.5% | 76,213 | |
| Republican | Jeff Stone | 31.6% | 41,190 | |
| Republican | Stephan Wolkowicz | 9.9% | 12,923 | |
| Total Votes | 130,326 | |||
| Source:California Secretary of State | ||||
Candidates
General election candidates:  Raul Ruiz a Jeff Stone |
Primary candidates: Raul Ruiz - Incumbent[4]aJeff Stone - State sen.[9]aStephan Wolkowicz[4] |
| Withdrew: Lupe Ramos Watson (R) - Indio Mayor[10][11] Dwight Kealy (R)[12][13] |
Race background
IncumbentRaul Ruiz was one of the initial 14 members of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2016 election.[14]
District history
2014
California's 36th Congressional District was abattleground district in 2014 due to the low margin of victory for Democrats in the previous election and last two presidential elections. IncumbentRaul Ruiz (D) andBrian Nestande (R) triumphed in theblanket primary overRay Haynes (R). Ruiz went on to defeat Nestande in the general election on November 4, 2014.[15][16]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raul RuizIncumbent | 54.2% | 72,682 | |
| Republican | Brian Nestande | 45.8% | 61,457 | |
| Total Votes | 134,139 | |||
| Source:California Secretary of State | ||||
2012
According to aCook Political Report analysis, the 36th District was one of 13 congressional districts in California that was competitive in 2012. The analysis rated it as Likely Republican.[17] DemocratRaul Ruiz won election in the district.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raul Ruiz | 52.9% | 110,189 | |
| Republican | Mary Bono MackIncumbent | 47.1% | 97,953 | |
| Total Votes | 208,142 | |||
| Source:California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also:California elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in California in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| February 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| February 25, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of signature in lieu of filing fee period for voter-nominated offices | |
| March 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Close of declaration of candidacy and nomination paper period for voter-nominated offices | |
| April 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| May 26, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due | |
| June 7, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Sources:California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed January 11, 2016 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for State Candidate Controlled Committees Listed on the June 7, 2016 Ballot," accessed January 11, 2016 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed September 23, 2016
- ↑Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑4.04.14.2California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 7, 2016
- ↑California Legislative Information, "California Constitution, Article II, Section 5," accessed October 29, 2025
- ↑California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed October 29, 2025
- ↑California Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑The Desert Sun, "It's official: Jeff Stone is running for Congress," January 11, 2016
- ↑KESQ.com, "Indio mayor announces run for Congress," April 21, 2015
- ↑The Desert Sun, "Indio Mayor Lupe Ramos Watson not running for Congress," June 3, 2015
- ↑Kealy for Congress, "Home," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑The Press Enterprise, "CONGRESS: Dwight Kealy ends campaign for Raul Ruiz's seat," February 24, 2016
- ↑Roll Call, "Exclusive: DCCC Announces 14 Incumbents in Frontline Program," February 12, 2015
- ↑The New York Times, "California Primary Results," June 3, 2014
- ↑The Huffington Post, "Election 2014," November 4, 2014
- ↑The Cook Political Report, "2012 Competitive House Race Chart," accessed July 10, 2012
- ↑Politico, "2012 Election Map, California," accessed August 15, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see:Public policy in the 2016 elections!
