Steve Padilla (Democratic) and Art Hodges (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Steve Padilla is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. June 2 top-two primary result: Steve Padilla (DEM) 63.8 percent and Art Hodges (REP) 36.2 percent advanced, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Steve Padilla · DemocraticIncumbent▾
Steve Padilla is the Democratic candidate for California Senate District 18 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates (ballot designation: California State Senator). Steve Padilla is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Priorities: Strengthen digital safety protections for children · Expand community representation on air quality boards · Reform insurance claims practices (per the official Senate site)
Art Hodges is a Republican candidate for California's 18th Senate District and a retired pastor and bishop who oversaw 350 churches, pastors, and ministers in Southern California, per his campaign website. He has also served as a college class president, school principal, and college chancellor, per the same source.
Priorities: Reducing government spending to lower housing, gas, and food costs · Public safety and law enforcement (per the campaign site)
Ida S. Obeso-Martinez (Democratic) and Jeff Gonzalez (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Jeff Gonzalez is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. June 2 top-two primary result: Jeff Gonzalez (REP) 44.6 percent and Ida S. Obeso-Martinez (DEM) 24.1 percent advanced over Oscar Ortiz (DEM) 22.0 percent, Tomás Oliva (DEM) 9.3 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Ida S. Obeso-Martinez · Democratic▾
Ida S. Obeso-Martinez is a cardiovascular nurse practitioner at Imperial Cardiac Center who holds a doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Arizona, per the Calexico Chronicle. She serves as mayor pro tem of the city of Imperial and is a Democratic candidate for California's 36th Assembly District. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Priorities: Affordability and economic opportunity · Healthcare access · Education investment (per the Imperial Valley Press)
Jeff Gonzalez represents California's 36th Assembly District, covering parts of Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, per the Assembly's official website. He serves as Vice Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, and also sits on the Agriculture, Health, and Higher Education committees, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
These race previews show candidates we’re tracking now. A ZIP code shows your statewide and congressional races; a street address adds county and city contests. Local races are address-specific. This guide previews tracked contests, while the lookup tool narrows the list to a voter’s exact address. Tap any name to see the race, full candidate profiles, and everything else on your exact ballot. California's June 2 top-two primary sent the two leading vote-getters in every race to the November 3 ballot regardless of party (a same-party November contest is common); the Secretary of State certified the November field on August 27, 2026. County offices that reached a majority in June were decided then; only November runoffs and local measures remain on county ballots.
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Imperial County
Each ZIP page previews the statewide and congressional races for that ZIP; add a street address in the lookup for county and city contests.
Note: Use address lookup for your exact ballot; local pages preview tracked races.Profiles: Hand-verified profiles are added race by race; always confirm with the official election office linked above.
Steve Padilla is the Democratic candidate for California Senate District 18 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates (ballot designation: California State Senator). Steve Padilla is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.Priorities: Strengthen digital safety protections for children · Expand community representation on air quality boards · Reform insurance claims practices (per the official Senate site)