Upset Brief · CA-16 · Peter Sundin Soulé (R) vs. Sam Liccardo (D), incumbent
A long shot on the math: it takes a 44.4-point national wave.
0%
odds today
0%
odds with the plan
121,035
net votes to find
Sam Liccardo won
result of the November 3, 2026 election
Where
- 01+430Palo AltoStarting line Liccardo +62. 2.9% split their ticket.
- 02+413San JoseStarting line Liccardo +35. 0.7% split their ticket.
- 03+371SaratogaStarting line Liccardo +34. 4.7% split their ticket.
- 04+330Los AltosStarting line Liccardo +52. 4.1% split their ticket.
- 05+308Los GatosStarting line Liccardo +39. 3.9% split their ticket.
- 06+247Mountain ViewStarting line Liccardo +60. 1.8% split their ticket.
The top 12 cities and unincorporated areas carry 88% of the plan.
How
- P+3,014Persuade3,014 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Liccardo today.
- M+0MobilizeFew cities and unincorporated areas give Soulé's side 55 percent or more, so turnout is a small lever here; the plan leans on persuasion instead.
- C+357ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the closest places on the map.
Plus a national shift of 44.4 points of margin (117,664 votes) that no campaign controls.
What has to be true
- Soulé wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Liccardo.
- It would take a national shift of about 44.4 points toward Soulé's side, larger than any midterm swing in recent memory.
- No 2026 public poll exists for this race, so the starting line is a weighted blend of official recent results; the first real poll will move it.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression469 precincts, R² 0.900, 95 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -148,061 to -87,119 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30Soulé $400 cash on hand; Liccardo $2,152,957.
- 04Call program for this list4,862 households, 14,587 dials, about 764 live conversations: an estimated $2,774 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official California Secretary of State precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.