all districts > CD36: Coachella V
* incumbent
Until the filing period closes, candidates who have made gestures to a run are included. Some of these may not run, while others are likely to jump in.
Physician Raul Ruiz defeated incumbent Mary Bono Mack in 2012 during a year in which stars aligned for California Democrats. Democrats won all contested seats except one (CD10), and CD36 was one of the most difficult.
This sprawling district stretches from Hemet to the Arizona border and includes pockets of both significant (and seasonal) wealth and deep poverty.
However, the perception that Mary Bono Mack had become quite disconnected from the district found resonance with voters who had been deeply hurt by the sustained recession. Bono Mack, who was elected to the seat following the death of her then-husband Sonny Bono, was on the ballot at the same time as her husband Congressman Connie Mack, who unsuccessfully sought a U.S. Senate seat in Florida. Aside from the jet-setting part-time residents of the resort communities, the concept of a bi-coastal household just didn't play well.
In likely GOP candidate Brian Nestande, Raul Ruiz will have a much more difficult time holding this seat, particularly in a mid-term election.
Nestande, whose father was a state senator from Orange County, has sought to be a more moderate voice in the conservative Assembly Republican caucus. Nestande knows the district well, having managed campaigns and served in key staff roles for both Sonny Bono and Mary Bono Mack.
To keep the seat in the off-year, Ruiz needs to see strong voter turnout, hold all the Democrats who voted for him in 2012, and also to grab a slightly larger share of independent voters.
The seat will likely be the second highest pick-up priority in California for House Republicans, behind only Scott Peters's CD52.
| November 6 General Election Results Final Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percent | Precincts Reporting |
| Raul Ruiz (D) | 110,189 | 52.9% | 448 of 448 |
| Mary Bono Mack (R) | 97,953 | 47.1% | 448 of 448 |
County Breakdown | Vote Count Tracker | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | |||
| June 5 Primary Election Results Final Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percent | Precincts Reporting |
| Mary Bono Mack (R) | 52,474 | 58.1% | 299 of 299 |
| Raul Ruiz (D) | 37,847 | 41.9% | 299 of 299 |
County Breakdown | |||
| Source: California Secretary of State | |||