California’s Democratic incumbents face primary challenges from political newcomers

WASHINGTON— In Napa and surrounding counties, Rep. Mike Thompson’s once-easy re-election contest is turning into a race. Rep. Doris Matsui faces one of the most serious challengers in the Sacramento district in two decades. In Los Angeles, a former White House climate official wants to unseat Rep. Brad Sherman.

Newcomers in those districts and others are challenging some of the best-known Democratic figures in California politics in the June 2 primary elections.

These challenges are part of a national wave that is reshaping the debate about generational power and the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of 2026 midterm elections in which party leaders hope to regain control of the House of Representatives. They reflect and tap into the unrest of progressive voters who are upset with the status quo, worried about affordability, and looking for new leadership.

The question of when older lawmakers should step aside has been a bipartisan issue for years, from late-career health concerns for senators including Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Dianne Feinstein to generational debates sparked by progressive figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The debate reached a critical moment for Democrats in 2024, when President Biden withdrew from his re-election campaign under pressure due to his age and mental acuity. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, 86, has chosen to retire at the end of her current term.

Now, a handful of California’s primary contests have revived a predictable debate: Some in the party see the argument that lawmakers in their 70s and 80s should step aside as old and naive; Others argue that Democrats should allow for a generational change, especially after the party’s failure to defeat President Trump in 2024.

“The Democratic Party couldn’t get its way and the power structure there is crumbling,” said Eric Jones, a 35-year-old entrepreneur who is challenging Thompson in the newly drawn 4th District. “Where is the hope? Where is the dream? Where is the future? I don’t see any of that coming out of the current political class.”

Officials argue that trading experience for a new face is a false promise. Several of those who spoke to The Times noted their legislative accomplishments. “This is not the time for on-the-job training,” said Thomas Dowling, Thompson’s spokesman.

The redistricting created by Proposition 50 helped open the door to newcomer candidates in the 4th and 7th districts, where Thompson and Matsui face challengers, making those races more competitive. Both districts were redrawn to help incumbents gain the trust of new voters who had never seen them on the ballot before.

“They are still Democrats, but some voters are different,” said Christian Grose, a professor of political science and public policy at USC. “I think this creates an opportunity for a few young people in the north where the regions are changing.”

The two races are different; Thompson, for example, has received support from young voter groups such as the Sacramento County Young Democrats and is younger than the 75-year-old Matsui, 81.

Meanwhile, Matsui is favored in fundraising; He is favored with nearly $1 million in cash, compared to the $315,000 brought in by Mai Vang, a Sacramento City Council member backed by progressive groups who has described her campaign as one supported by working families and criticized Matsui for relying on corporate donors. Jones’ struggle forced Thompson to match fundraising and door-knocking efforts; Both candidates raised about $3 million, their campaigns said.

“Others think being a leader means screaming and yelling,” Matsui told The Times. “I think it’s about being effective.”

Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), seen in April, faces one of the most serious challengers in the last two decades.

(CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Bill Clark/Getty Images)

A broader pattern emerges

California is home to three of them 13 members of Congress aged 80 or older seeking re-election in 2026 —Matsui; Rep. Maxine Waters, 87; and Rep. John Garamendi, 81. All three face their first serious primary challenges in years.

“It’s going to take new types of energy, new thinking and leadership to combat what’s going on in our country right now,” said Myla Rahman, 53, who is challenging Waters, a 43rd District Los Angeles Democrat who has held the seat for 35 years.

The primaries will also feature a handful of open contests in deep blue districts where longtime incumbents have sidelined, including Pelosi’s San Francisco seat and retiring Rep. Julia Brownley’s Ventura County district, giving newcomers their first real opening in years.

In Alameda County, a primary election will be held June 16 for the seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell. he resigned last month amid accusations of sexual assault.

National Democrats, meanwhile, are focused on defending incumbents in two swing districts in California that the party sees as crucial to winning the House majority: Rep. Derek Tran Orange County and Rep. who won his seat by just over 600 votes in 2024. Man Gray The Central Valley faces a competitive field.

Analysts say disillusionment with the economy is growing among voters in both competitive partisan races and Democrat-to-Democrat races.

A statewide survey released in February A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 56 percent of voters believe a candidate’s stance on affordability is crucial in determining their vote in a House race; but only 20 percent said they approved of the job Congress was doing.

The numbers were even more striking among voters under 35: 76% said the cost of living was the most important issue, and only 13% approved of Congress.

Those numbers help explain why young voters are looking for new options from primary rivals, said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive of the Public Policy Institute of California. Much of the frustration stems from economic pressures, he said.

“If you’re getting a 13% approval rating in Congress among 18- to 34-year-olds, that tells you a lot about how people feel about the status quo,” Baldassare said.

Grose said the trend reflects a mix of younger candidates tired of waiting their turn, other candidates who are ideologically driven and others who see a rare opportunity against a vulnerable incumbent.

“If you’re a knowledgeable young candidate, it may be easier to beat an incumbent who is over 80 when he retires later than it is to get to the top 20,” he said.

Challenge for competitors

Still, the newcomers face a steep climb against rivals whose names are well-known in communities where they have become deeply entrenched over the years.

Rahman, a nonprofit executive, acknowledged it was difficult to run against someone like Waters who is nationally known and has voter loyalty. But he said the cost of food, fuel and housing has led people to question whether their representatives in Congress are doing enough.

In Solano County, Garamendi, who has served in Congress since 2009 and held senior positions in state government since the 1970s, faces three challengers in the redrawn 8th District, two Democrats and one Republican.

“Experience matters, both when fighting Trump and trying to improve our community,” he said as he launched his re-election bid.

In Los Angeles’ 32nd District, Sherman, 71, is trying to fend off former Obama and Biden White House climate aide Jake Levine, 41, who decided to flee after losing his childhood home in the Palisades fire.

“For 30 years we have been told that seniority equals effectiveness, time on the job equals advancement,” Levine said. “But people in our area who are struggling with $7 gas and housing prices that are driving people away from Los Angeles may feel like that’s not right.”

Sherman, who has been in Congress since 1997, has publicly rejected the claim of generational change.

“If you’ve never shown that you can stand up to the other side in a tough legislative debate, then you can go out there and say, ‘I haven’t done anything, I’ve never proven I can do anything, but I’m new,'” Sherman said.