Bay Area congressional incumbents were largely leading their challengers in preliminary returns Tuesday, as Democrats led Republicans nationally to take control of the House of Representatives.
The region’s heavily Democratic districts where incumbents were seeking reelection weren’t expected to see much change in party representation. But two East Bay contests pitted Democrats against each other, including newly elected Rep. Aisha Wahab’s bid for a full term.
One potential opportunity for Democrats to flip a Republican-held seat was in the 1st District, which last year’s Proposition 50 redistricting measure redrew to include a heavily Democratic area of Sonoma County.
Here’s a rundown of the Bay Area’s other congressional districts where incumbents are seeking reelection, according to returns released Tuesday by the California Secretary of State at 10:27 p.m. Nov. 3:
1st District
State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, who is running for the House of Representatives newly drawn 1st District, makes a point during a town hall meeting featuring Sen. Adam Schiff of California, left, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Republican incumbent James Gallagher, who won a special election this summer to complete the term of the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, was trailing Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire.
Gallagher won the special election under the district’s previous boundaries. The redrawn district used for November’s election includes part of Sonoma County and tilts toward Democrats.
Gallagher had 57,462 votes, or 41.9%%, and McGuire had 79,649 votes, or 58.1% with about 137,000 votes counted out of 459,587 registered district voters.
8th District
Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif. (AP File Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Democratic incumbent John Garamendi, a former state lawmaker, insurance commissioner and lieutenant governor and U.S. deputy interior secretary first elected to the House in 2009, was leading Republican challenger Rudy Recile, a retired U.S. Army major and businessman from Fairfield, in the district covering parts of Contra Costa and Solano counties.
Garamendi had 93,923 votes, or 75.1% and Recile 31,169, or 24.9% with about 125,000 votes counted out of 455,084 registered district voters.
10th District
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier speaks to protestors during the “No Kings” Protest held in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Saturday, June 14, 2025. An estimated 4,000 people showed up to protest and march in downtown Walnut Creek. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group file photo)
Democratic incumbent Mark DeSaulnier, a former Concord council member, Contra Costa County supervisor and state lawmaker first elected to the House in 2014, was leading Republican challenger Jeff Frese, a Moraga businessman who founded and later sold low-carbohydrate snack company Fat Snax, in the district that includes much of Contra Costa County and part of Alameda County.
DeSaulnier had 122,537, or 70.4%, and Frese 51,499, or 29.6%, with about 174,000 ballots counted out of 502,963 registered district voters.
12th District
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee look on during an election night watch party at Hella Bees in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon speaks to supporters as she and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee celebrate their reelection during an election night watch party at Hella Bees in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee celebrate their reelection during their election night watch party at Hella Bees in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee look on during an election night watch party at Hella Bees in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Lateefah Simon, a civil rights advocate and former Bay Area Rapid Transit District board member and California State University trustee first elected to the House in 2024, was leading Democratic rival Jamie Joyce, a Berkeley technology worker, in the East Bay district that runs from Albany south to San Leandro.
Simon had 102,368, or 80.1%, and Joyce 25,376, or 19.9%, with about 128,000 ballots counted out of 458,686 registered district voters.
14th District
Rep. Aisha Wahab addresses her supporters at the Eden Area United Democratic Campaign headquarters in Hayward on Election night, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. According to early returns, Wahab appeared ahead of BART Board President Melissa Hernandez in the race for the full-term to replace disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell. (Kyle Martin/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Aisha Wahab was leading Democratic challenger Melissa Hernandez, BART’s board president, in her bid for a full term representing the Alameda County district that runs from Hayward and Fremont east through Dublin and Livermore.
Wahab won a special election this summer to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Wahab had 65,117, or 57.2%, and Hernandez had 48,706, or 42.8%, with about 114,000 ballots counted out of 426,865 registered district voters.
15th District
U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) speaks during a press conference on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, announcing efforts to stop the planned closure of the National Archives in San Francisco located in San Bruno, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Kevin Mullin, a former state Assembly member first elected to the House in 2022, was leading Republican challenger Charles Hoelter, a retired UPS supervisor, in the district spanning San Mateo County’s Highway 101 corridor.
Mullin had 87,958, or 78.6%, and Hoelter 23,957, or 21.4% with about 112,000 ballots counted out of 429,805 registered district voters.
16th District
U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., speaks during an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Yvonne Maldonado of Stanford cheers as she listens to a speaker at an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Tess Manjarrez of Palo Alto reacts to an election result on TV during an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Jeral Poskey of Mountain View, left, and Gans Ganapati of Palo Alto talk in front of a “Just Win!” sign displayed at an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
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U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., speaks during an election night watch party at the Democratic Volunteer Center in Mountain View, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2026. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Sam Liccardo, the former San Jose mayor making his first reelection bid, was leading Republican challenger Peter Soule, who worked in his family’s San Francisco-based steel business, in the district that runs from southwestern San Mateo County into northwestern Santa Clara County and part of San Jose.
Liccardo had 103,757, or 76.3%, and Soule had 32,299, or 23.7%, with about 136,000 ballots counted out of 461,014 registered district voters.
17th District
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), center, mingles with attendees during a rally for Prop 40, also known as the “Billionaire Tax,” at the South Bay Labor Council headquarters on Aug. 18, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Ro Khanna, first elected to the House in 2016, was leading Republican challenger Ritesh Tandon in the district stretching from southern Fremont through Milpitas, northern San Jose and Sunnyvale.
Khanna had 69,236 votes, or 70.9%, and Tandon had 28,448 votes, or 29.1%, with about 98,000 ballots counted out of 386,766 registered district voters.
18th District
U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren speaks during a press conference at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Zoe Lofgren, first elected to the House in 1994, was leading Republican challenger Shane Lewis, a Marine Corps veteran and music teacher, in the district stretching from eastern San Jose south through the Salinas Valley.
Lofgren had 62,600 votes, or 71.8%, and Lewis had 24,611 votes, or 28.2%, with about 87,000 ballots counted out of 380,648 registered district voters.
19th District
U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) speaks during a press conference calling attention on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, outside Gardner Health Center in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Democratic incumbent Jimmy Panetta, a former Navy intelligence officer first elected to the House in 2016, was leading Republican challenger Peter Verbica, a managing director for a money management and investment firm.
The district includes parts of eastern San Jose and spans the Monterey Bay and Big Sur coastline region.
Panetta had 117,730 votes, or 73.0%, and Verbica had 43,571 votes, or 27.0%, with about 161,000 ballots counted out of 495,627 registered district voters.