California Primary: 5th Congressional District candidates on the issues

It’s one of California’s most geographically diverse districts. Congressional District 5 stretches across the Gold Country, Sierra and parts of the Central Valley, including El Dorado, Stanislaus, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties.There are four candidates registered to run in the June 2 Primary to represent the district in Washington, D.C. The top two candidates from the June Primary will advance to the General Election in November, and the winner will serve the next two-year term that starts in January.We interviewed the two leading candidates in the race. In alphabetical order:Democrat Michael Masuda is an engineer and has worked at the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Affairs Officer. He was endorsed by the California Democratic Party during its 2026 State Convention. Republican Incumbent Tom McClintock was first elected to Congress in 2009. He serves on the House Judiciary, Natural Resources and Budget Committees. The summaries of their positions below are based on their full interviews with KCRA 3.On the issue of water access:Michael Masuda, Democrat:Masuda wants infrastructure upgraded and suggests conducting a study to see how much water is leaking between the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project.He also wants to continue encouraging groundwater banking. “When we are in the wet seasons, we want to store that water,” he said. Masuda wants the state to look at long term solutions. “We need to look at doing things like maybe raising reservoir heights, possibly building new reservoirs, finding other water sources. Climate change is really throwing a wrench into our expectations of how our water system works. The snowpack is not staying as long as it used to. That was a reservoir of sorts for our farmers to have stable water later into the season and for our communities and that is becoming a problem because the snow is melting sooner. So, we need to make sure that we are adjusting our infrastructure to take into account how climate change is changing our weather patterns, here in California.”Tom McClintock, Republican:McClintock believes water shortages won’t be solved until more dams and aqueducts are constructed. “I chaired the Subcommittee on Water and Power for many years in the House Natural Resources Committee, and I learned this, that droughts are nature’s fault. They happen,” he said. “But water shortages are our fault. That’s a choice we made a generation ago, and we stopped building dams and aqueducts, to meet the needs of a growing population.”On the issue of wildfires:Tom McClintock, Republican:McClintock believes environmental laws in the 70s have made forest management difficult. “Forests are going to grow and grow and grow. That’s what they do,” he said. “All of that growth is going to come out of the forest in only one of two ways. Either we’re going to carry it out or nature is going to burn it out. Burning it out is how nature gardens.”He wants the U.S. to get back to forest thinning projects. McClintock’s bill to do that in the Tahoe Basin was incorporated into 2016 legislation. “We need to extend that policy throughout the National Forest System,” he said. “My bill to do that has been incorporated into both the Farm Bill, as well as the Fix Our Forest Act, both of which are pending action now in the Senate.”Michael Masuda, Democrat:Masuda wants to see upfront investments in forest management. “We need to look at the risk that wildfires pose and start doing the work before fire season hits. So much of the money that we put into addressing wildfires is after they happen in suppression and in recovery,” he said. “We should be putting more money up front to reduce the risk to build like fuel breaks and do prescribed burns, help with home hardening and defensible space and if we can do those things, we can help protect communities. We can reduce the risk on homes so we can drive down the price of insurance.”On the issue of the cost of living:Michael Masuda, Democrat:“The first thing we need to do is we need to end the chaotic tariffs and these foreign wars, which have driven up prices for everybody,” he said. “The tariffs tariffing the world is not a solution to any of our economic challenges here in the United States.” Masuda added, “We need to start…working together federal, state and local government to drive down these costs and make sure that people… can afford to live in our communities.”Tom McClintock, Republican:“According Unleash Prosperity, the 10 most affordable states in the country are Republican strongholds,” he said. “The 10 least affordable states are all run by the Democrats. That is not a coincidence. Republican policies of low taxes, light regulation, energy, and resource development all create greater opportunities and lower costs for consumers.”McClintock told KCRA 3 that as a senior member of the Budget Committee he had a hand in crafting the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which he said prevented the biggest tax increase in American history.He added that it provided tax relief for working families, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and immediate expensing for equipment for manufacturers, which could lead to more jobs. McClintock pointed to that bill is an example of policy that works. On the issue of immigration:Tom McClintock, Republican:McClintock told KCRA 3 that immigration laws should be enforced. He believes the largest legal deportation in history, which is currently happening under the Trump Administration is the first step in immigration reform.McClintock said step two would be to make permanent the Trump Administration policies to secure the border.“If we have no immigration laws, we have no border,” he said. “And if we have no border, then we have no country. So we have to finish a border wall. We’re doing that. We have to restore the Remain in Mexico Policy and enforce court order deportations. We’re doing that. We need to tighten asylum qualifications. We need to get rid of the Flores Settlement. We need to end blanket paroles. We need to sanction so-called sanctuary cities and require full cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement.”McClintock said his Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act of 2026, fulfills a portion of the reforms he champions.It has passed the House Judiciary Committee and is awaiting action on the House floor.Michael Masuda, Democrat:Masuda wants to see an overhaul of the immigration system, with more immigration judges and pathways to work permits, visas, residency and citizenship. “What we see right now is more and more frustration and people who are willing to treat others in our communities with absolute cruelty because they’re so frustrated with the broken system,” he said. Masuda believes Congress is undermining trust in the system and that’s why many people don’t use the legal system. “That is going to take a long time to recover from. But the language that they’re using, the methods that we’re seeing coming out of this administration from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is kneecapping our ability to create a functioning immigration system for the decades ahead,” he said. “And we’re going to have a lot of work to do, to rebuild trust among communities, that we absolutely need here for our economy in the Central Valley.”On the issue of healthcare access:Michael Masuda, Democrat:Masuda wants to reverse the effects on Medi-Cal from the One Big, Beautiful Bill.He also wants to encourage more doctors and nurses to see patients in rural communities. “It’s very easy for them to look at other places in California where they’re paying more for those skills and to just move out and go there,” he said. “We need to create incentive programs so that doctors and nurses and medical professionals stay in our rural communities and continue providing those services because they are incredibly crucial.”He also wants to increase reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal and Medicare to hospitals. “We need to target the bad actors that are profiting off of everyday Americans, excessive profits that are coming from us every time we try to use our health care benefits, or every time we try to pay our insurance,” he said. “It’s no longer tolerable that these individuals and these companies are able to siphon money from us, and we need to put an end to it.”Tom McClintock, Republican:“Our health care costs have grown three times as fast as inflation and population combined, while patient satisfaction continues to decline,” he said. “The fundamental problem is that we’ve severed the connection between the consumer and the payer. If somebody else is paying the bill, the consumer doesn’t care about costs, and the payer doesn’t care about quality. That connection needs to be restored.”McClintock wants a competitive health insurance market where patients can shop among hundreds of plans competing for their business and select that one that best meets their own needs and budget. He said for those who can’t afford a basic plan, the government can provide enough support to bring it within their financial reach. Adding that preexisting conditions could be covered by an assigned risk pool, similar to how auto insurance is handled.He said a bill to do those things was passed in the House, but it’s stuck in the Senate because of Democrat opposition.Also, on the ballot in the 5th Congressional District: Democrat Michael Barkley, Lawyer/Accountant/Programmer Democrat Dan Stroud, Engineer/Business OwnerYou can learn more about the candidates on their campaign websites:Michael BarkleyMichael MasudaDan StroudTom McClintockSee our full voter guide for the June 2 primary here. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

It’s one of California’s most geographically diverse districts.

Congressional District 5 stretches across the Gold Country, Sierra and parts of the Central Valley, including El Dorado, Stanislaus, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties.

There are four candidates registered to run in the June 2 Primary to represent the district in Washington, D.C.

The top two candidates from the June Primary will advance to the General Election in November, and the winner will serve the next two-year term that starts in January.

We interviewed the two leading candidates in the race. In alphabetical order:

Democrat Michael Masuda is an engineer and has worked at the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Affairs Officer.

He was endorsed by the California Democratic Party during its 2026 State Convention.

Republican Incumbent Tom McClintock was first elected to Congress in 2009. He serves on the House Judiciary, Natural Resources and Budget Committees.

The summaries of their positions below are based on their full interviews with KCRA 3.

On the issue of water access:

Michael Masuda, Democrat:

Masuda wants infrastructure upgraded and suggests conducting a study to see how much water is leaking between the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project.

He also wants to continue encouraging groundwater banking. “When we are in the wet seasons, we want to store that water,” he said.

Masuda wants the state to look at long term solutions.

“We need to look at doing things like maybe raising reservoir heights, possibly building new reservoirs, finding other water sources. Climate change is really throwing a wrench into our expectations of how our water system works. The snowpack is not staying as long as it used to. That was a reservoir of sorts for our farmers to have stable water later into the season and for our communities and that is becoming a problem because the snow is melting sooner. So, we need to make sure that we are adjusting our infrastructure to take into account how climate change is changing our weather patterns, here in California.”

Tom McClintock, Republican:

McClintock believes water shortages won’t be solved until more dams and aqueducts are constructed.

“I chaired the Subcommittee on Water and Power for many years in the House Natural Resources Committee, and I learned this, that droughts are nature’s fault. They happen,” he said. “But water shortages are our fault. That’s a choice we made a generation ago, and we stopped building dams and aqueducts, to meet the needs of a growing population.”

On the issue of wildfires:

Tom McClintock, Republican:

McClintock believes environmental laws in the 70s have made forest management difficult.

“Forests are going to grow and grow and grow. That’s what they do,” he said. “All of that growth is going to come out of the forest in only one of two ways. Either we’re going to carry it out or nature is going to burn it out. Burning it out is how nature gardens.”

He wants the U.S. to get back to forest thinning projects. McClintock’s bill to do that in the Tahoe Basin was incorporated into 2016 legislation.

“We need to extend that policy throughout the National Forest System,” he said. “My bill to do that has been incorporated into both the Farm Bill, as well as the Fix Our Forest Act, both of which are pending action now in the Senate.”

Michael Masuda, Democrat:

Masuda wants to see upfront investments in forest management.

“We need to look at the risk that wildfires pose and start doing the work before fire season hits. So much of the money that we put into addressing wildfires is after they happen in suppression and in recovery,” he said. “We should be putting more money up front to reduce the risk to build like fuel breaks and do prescribed burns, help with home hardening and defensible space and if we can do those things, we can help protect communities. We can reduce the risk on homes so we can drive down the price of insurance.”

On the issue of the cost of living:

Michael Masuda, Democrat:

“The first thing we need to do is we need to end the chaotic tariffs and these foreign wars, which have driven up prices for everybody,” he said. “The tariffs tariffing the world is not a solution to any of our economic challenges here in the United States.”

Masuda added, “We need to start…working together federal, state and local government to drive down these costs and make sure that people… can afford to live in our communities.”

Tom McClintock, Republican:

“According Unleash Prosperity, the 10 most affordable states in the country are Republican strongholds,” he said. “The 10 least affordable states are all run by the Democrats. That is not a coincidence. Republican policies of low taxes, light regulation, energy, and resource development all create greater opportunities and lower costs for consumers.”

McClintock told KCRA 3 that as a senior member of the Budget Committee he had a hand in crafting the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which he said prevented the biggest tax increase in American history.

He added that it provided tax relief for working families, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and immediate expensing for equipment for manufacturers, which could lead to more jobs.

McClintock pointed to that bill is an example of policy that works.

On the issue of immigration:

Tom McClintock, Republican:

McClintock told KCRA 3 that immigration laws should be enforced.

He believes the largest legal deportation in history, which is currently happening under the Trump Administration is the first step in immigration reform.

McClintock said step two would be to make permanent the Trump Administration policies to secure the border.

“If we have no immigration laws, we have no border,” he said. “And if we have no border, then we have no country. So we have to finish a border wall. We’re doing that. We have to restore the Remain in Mexico Policy and enforce court order deportations. We’re doing that. We need to tighten asylum qualifications. We need to get rid of the Flores Settlement. We need to end blanket paroles. We need to sanction so-called sanctuary cities and require full cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement.”

McClintock said his Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act of 2026, fulfills a portion of the reforms he champions.

It has passed the House Judiciary Committee and is awaiting action on the House floor.

Michael Masuda, Democrat:

Masuda wants to see an overhaul of the immigration system, with more immigration judges and pathways to work permits, visas, residency and citizenship.

“What we see right now is more and more frustration and people who are willing to treat others in our communities with absolute cruelty because they’re so frustrated with the broken system,” he said.

Masuda believes Congress is undermining trust in the system and that’s why many people don’t use the legal system.

“That is going to take a long time to recover from. But the language that they’re using, the methods that we’re seeing coming out of this administration from Immigration and Customs Enforcement is kneecapping our ability to create a functioning immigration system for the decades ahead,” he said. “And we’re going to have a lot of work to do, to rebuild trust among communities, that we absolutely need here for our economy in the Central Valley.”

On the issue of healthcare access:

Michael Masuda, Democrat:

Masuda wants to reverse the effects on Medi-Cal from the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

He also wants to encourage more doctors and nurses to see patients in rural communities.

“It’s very easy for them to look at other places in California where they’re paying more for those skills and to just move out and go there,” he said. “We need to create incentive programs so that doctors and nurses and medical professionals stay in our rural communities and continue providing those services because they are incredibly crucial.”

He also wants to increase reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal and Medicare to hospitals.

“We need to target the bad actors that are profiting off of everyday Americans, excessive profits that are coming from us every time we try to use our health care benefits, or every time we try to pay our insurance,” he said. “It’s no longer tolerable that these individuals and these companies are able to siphon money from us, and we need to put an end to it.”

Tom McClintock, Republican:

“Our health care costs have grown three times as fast as inflation and population combined, while patient satisfaction continues to decline,” he said. “The fundamental problem is that we’ve severed the connection between the consumer and the payer. If somebody else is paying the bill, the consumer doesn’t care about costs, and the payer doesn’t care about quality. That connection needs to be restored.”

McClintock wants a competitive health insurance market where patients can shop among hundreds of plans competing for their business and select that one that best meets their own needs and budget.

He said for those who can’t afford a basic plan, the government can provide enough support to bring it within their financial reach. Adding that preexisting conditions could be covered by an assigned risk pool, similar to how auto insurance is handled.

He said a bill to do those things was passed in the House, but it’s stuck in the Senate because of Democrat opposition.

Also, on the ballot in the 5th Congressional District:

Democrat Michael Barkley, Lawyer/Accountant/Programmer Democrat Dan Stroud, Engineer/Business Owner

You can learn more about the candidates on their campaign websites:

See our full voter guide for the June 2 primary here.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google