Member brief No. CA-21
Reviewed October 31, 2026
CA-21 · California
Jim Costa
Democrat. Harris won California in 2024. Flagged as a 2032 redistricting risk.
- Age on Election Day 2028
- 76
- Born April 13, 1952.
- Lean
- D+5
- Lean Democratic. Cook PVI, 2026 lines.
- In the House since
- 2005
- Served since January 4, 2005.
- Cash on hand
- $501K
- $500,767. Reporting period ended October 14, 2026
The 2026 race
- November 3, 2026
- Re-elected
Over Kyle Kirkland (R). Called by NBC News on November 4, 2026.
- Primary
- Advanced, first
42.2% in the top-two primary, June 2. Kyle Kirkland (R) also advanced, with 26.3%.
Endorsements, 2026
Endorsed: Hakeem Jeffries.
None on record: Justice Democrats, Working Families Party, Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, Democratic Socialists of America.
What a race here costs
TV: Fresno–Visalia, 636,000 homes. The district is 36.2% of the market.
2026 primary: $1.2M spent, $11.55 a vote
2024 general: $1.7M spent, $8.90 a vote
In the House, 119th Congress
- Ranking Member of the Agriculture subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
Committees: Agriculture · Foreign Affairs
General-election outcomes
- 2024 vote share
- 52.57%
- Victory margin
- +5.15 pts
- Harris, 2024
- 50.58% · +3.79 pts
Margin 1.36 points above Harris. Vote share 1.99 points above.
2024 election districts. Valid votes; margin over the runner-up. Runner-up: Michael Maher. Returns · Harris baseline · Method. Reviewed November 5, 2026.
Money, past cycles
| Cycle | Raised | From individuals | Cash at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $2.1M | 42% | $410K |
| 2022 | $2.0M | 48% | $389K |
| 2024 | $1.7M | 41% | $209K |
Scorecards and grades
- Conservative average, out of 100
- 21.1
- Progressive average, out of 100
- 73 (LCV 62, Progressive Punch 77, Stop Corruption Now 80)
- IAP Action score, immigration
- -93, rank 270 of 431
- Gun Owners of America grade, 2024
- F
Read October 31, 2026 from the member’s page on heritageaction.com, clubforgrowth.org, tpaction.com, gopscorecard.limitedgov.org.