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2026 midterms · Candidate

Democrat · Candidate · U.S. House, California’s 8th District · Incumbent

Portrait of John Garamendi, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
12,211
statements classified

On none of the five kinds of statement does Garamendi sit outside the middle half of the 212 Democratic House incumbents.

An AI model reads everything Garamendi publishes in office (posts, press releases, newsletters, floor speeches) and marks five kinds of statement; the rates are compared below.

What Garamendi says

12,211 of Garamendi’s statements are classified. On none of the five kinds of statement does Garamendi sit outside the middle half of the 212 Democratic House incumbents.

An AI model reads everything Garamendi publishes in office and marks five kinds of statement; the rate is the share of statements with each label. The thin grey bar is the average of the 212 Democratic House incumbents with 50 or more statements, and the rank places Garamendi among them (1st is the highest rate). A rate describes what was said, not whether it was right.

How often does Garamendi make each kind of statement?

Share of statements: Garamendi (thick bar) against the Democratic House incumbents average (thin grey bar)

0%70%
Garamendi
Average
Rank
Personal attacks
2.8%
3.2%
95th of 212
Policy criticism
16%
17%
114th of 212
Policy discussion
68%
66%
91st of 212
Bipartisanship
6.0%
6.6%
104th of 212
Credit claiming
22%
19%
70th of 212
Show the data
Garamendi’s share of statements of each kind, against the Democratic House incumbents average: Personal attacks 2.8%, Policy criticism 16%, Policy discussion 68%, Bipartisanship 6.0%, Credit claiming 22%.
RowGaramendiAverage
Personal attacks2.8%3.2%
Policy criticism16%17%
Policy discussion68%66%
Bipartisanship6.0%6.6%
Credit claiming22%19%
12,211

statements classified

From everything they publish in office: posts, press releases, newsletters and floor speeches.

This compares Garamendi with other candidates. Garamendi’s official profile compares Garamendi with fellow office-holders and has every statement, vote and bill.

The five kinds of statement

Personal attacks. Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.

Policy criticism. Objects to a specific policy, law or court ruling with fact-based arguments, without personal attacks or emotional appeals.

Policy discussion. Discusses a specific public policy or policy area (health care, taxes, defense, …).

Bipartisanship. Emphasises working across the aisle, compromise or common ground between the parties.

Credit claiming. Claims credit for passing legislation, securing funding or grants, or other accomplishments in office.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Garamendi reports $582.7K raised and $1.2M cash on hand. By money raised, 1st of the two candidates on this race’s list with FEC figures.

Totals the campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 cycle, as filed.

Raised

$582.7K

Spent

$615.8K

Cash on hand

$1.2M

Where has Garamendi’s money come from?

Receipts by source, as reported to the FEC

Individuals: $168.5K (28.9%)Individuals $168.5KPACs: $414.0K (71.1%)PACs $414.0K
Show the data
Garamendi’s receipts by source: Individuals $168.5K, PACs $414.0K, Party committees $0, Own money $0, Candidate loans $0.
PartValue
Individuals$168.5K
PACs$414.0K
Party committees$0
Own money$0
Candidate loans$0
Notes
Sources are the FEC’s categories; what is left (transfers, refunds, other receipts) is not drawn. The race page compares every candidate in the race.

Back to topNext: Online

Online

Engagement is what X reports for each collected post, averaged; it measures reach, not support.

No engagement figures are on file for this account.

Back to topNext: The race

The race

California 8th District: Garamendi advanced from the primary. Primary Jun 2, 2026 (top-two primary). General election Nov 3, 2026.

This race is not among the races the lab lists as rated toss-up or leaning.

Who else is on the list?

Candidates recorded as advancing from the primary

The race page compares every candidate’s statements and money · every race in California

Back to topNext: Methods and sources

Methods and sources

The headline. Each candidate’s headline is chosen by one rule for everyone. The peer group is the ranked candidates (50 or more statements) of the same party, for the same office and measured on the same record, widened to both parties when it has fewer than 10. Each kind of statement is scored by how far the candidate sits from the middle of the group (|percentile − 0.5|, ties counting half); the farthest leads if it is outside the middle half (above 0.25), scores within 0.03 tie and fall to a fixed order, and a high rate backed by fewer than 10 labelled statements cannot lead. Otherwise the headline is a plain count.

The statements. As an incumbent member of Congress, this candidate is measured on everything the lab collects from them in office: posts on X, press releases, newsletters and floor speeches. An AI model marks each statement for five kinds of statement; rates are shown from 10 statements and ranked from 50.

The race. Candidates come from FEC filings (House and Senate), the lab’s list of sitting members of Congress, and the lab’s list of candidates for governor. The lab records each primary’s result once it is official. House districts follow FEC filings; a sitting member is placed in the race for the seat they hold now.

Identifiers. FEC candidate id H0CA10149 (FEC record). Bioguide id G000559. First FEC filing Jun 3, 2009.

Money and reach. Campaign money is as reported to the FEC. Followers, likes and views are what X reports for the posts the lab collected.

About the data →

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