California's 18th Congressional District takes in part of Santa Clara County and all of San Benito County. On Nov. 3, Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren ("Congresswoman" on the certified list) faces Republican Shane Lewis ("Electrical Test Engineer"). Both answered questions from BenitoLink, the San Benito County nonprofit newsroom.

The candidates

Lofgren, 78, has been in Congress since 1995. She is a former immigration lawyer and law professor and once served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Lewis, 55, is an electrical test engineer who has never held office. BenitoLink reports he lives just outside the district and has friends and family in it.

The most pressing issue in the House

Lofgren: "Right now, the Republican-controlled Congress is not acting like a coequal branch of government—it's just a rubber stamp for Donald Trump."

Lewis: "We have an identity crisis in this country. Our federal government cannot formulate policy that aligns with our form of government."

The district's top two issues

Lofgren: health care and tariffs. She said about 23,000 people in the district face higher health costs because the Affordable Care Act tax credits expired, and nearly 7,000 will lose coverage. She also said tariffs cost the average family $1,700 last year and have hurt the district's farmers.

Lewis: immigration and infrastructure. He said the government, not the immigrant, is responsible for enforcing immigration law, and that the country is "creating that same underclass" today. He said the district's infrastructure spending must keep up with inflation and population. He argued the money spent on high-speed rail could have paid for "every single infrastructure project we need in this state."

The primary

Lofgren took 54.9% (65,291 votes) and Lewis 29.3% (34,883), according to Ballotpedia. Democrat Luis Acevedo-Arreguin got 12.9% and no-party-preference candidate Chris Demers 2.9%.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.