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
  1. 01
    Palo Alto
    Starting line Liccardo +62. 2.9% split their ticket.
    +430
  2. 02
    San Jose
    Starting line Liccardo +35. 0.7% split their ticket.
    +413
  3. 03
    Saratoga
    Starting line Liccardo +34. 4.7% split their ticket.
    +371
  4. 04
    Los Altos
    Starting line Liccardo +52. 4.1% split their ticket.
    +330
  5. 05
    Los Gatos
    Starting line Liccardo +39. 3.9% split their ticket.
    +308
  6. 06
    Mountain View
    Starting line Liccardo +60. 1.8% split their ticket.
    +247

The top 12 cities and unincorporated areas carry 88% of the plan.

How
  • P
    Persuade
    3,014 voters who split their ticket in recent elections and lean Liccardo today.
    +3,014
  • M
    Mobilize
    Few 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.
    +0
  • C
    Consolidate
    Voters who went third party in recent races, in the closest places on the map.
    +357

Plus a national shift of 44.4 points of margin (117,664 votes) that no campaign controls.

What has to be true
  1. Soulé wins 50 percent of the ticket splitters now leaning Liccardo.
  2. It would take a national shift of about 44.4 points toward Soulé's side, larger than any midterm swing in recent memory.
  3. 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
  • 01
    Crossover regression
    469 precincts, R² 0.900, 95 crossover precincts identified
  • 02
    Monte Carlo
    20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 7-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -148,061 to -87,119 votes.
  • 03
    Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30
    Soulé $400 cash on hand; Liccardo $2,152,957.
  • 04
    Call program for this list
    4,862 households, 14,587 dials, about 764 live conversations: an estimated $2,774 at published rates.
For the campaign

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For donors, PACs and committees

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The full plan, the map and the live odds simulator ›All California races ranked ›

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.