U.S. House, California 15th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 15th Congressional District?
Kevin Mullin has the strongest record in California's 15th Congressional District. Kevin Mullin scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Kevin Mullin's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Charles Hoelter (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Charles Hoelter
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Kevin Mullin
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 38
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Charles Hoelter
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Kevin Mullin
- Credit2016-10
In October 2016 the Metropolitan Transportation Commission gave Assembly Speaker pro Tem Mullin its John F. Foran Legislative Award for passage of AB 516, the temporary license plate law.
Sources: Metropolitan Transportation Commission, 2016 Transportation Awards photo gallery, Mass Transit, MTC release, Oct. 25, 2016
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed with the House Clerk May 14, 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter naming him or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077398, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Holds open in-person town halls in the district, including one in Redwood City on Aug. 19, 2026, and posts recaps.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Served on the South San Francisco City Council (2007 to 2012), in the Assembly (2012 to 2022) and in Congress since 2023. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Office site, About
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Has held sworn local, state and federal office since 2007. Took his House seat in January 2023, after the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Office site, About, GovTrack, Kevin Mullin
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Charles Hoelter. Retired after more than 25 years as a UPS supervisor. Has not held public office.
Kevin Mullin. Served five terms in the Assembly (2012 to 2022), including as Speaker pro Tem from 2014, and is completing his second House term.
Sources: Office site, About, GovTrack, Kevin Mullin
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Charles Hoelter. Lists term limits, voter identification and girls' sports eligibility as his main goals and high school apprenticeship programs as a priority, in general terms.
Kevin Mullin. Sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and three of its subcommittees, and was Assembly Speaker pro Tem for eight years.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Charles Hoelter. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Charles Hoelter
Kevin Mullin. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, offers an e-newsletter, holds town halls and publishes issue pages.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kevin Mullin, Office site, home page, Office site, event page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Charles Hoelter. Says he lived in San Francisco for 27 years and has lived in San Mateo County for 36 years since.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Charles Hoelter, candidate survey, Redwood City Pulse, May 13, 2026
Kevin Mullin. A San Mateo County native who represented the county in the Assembly for 10 years. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 90 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Office site, About, Ballotpedia, Kevin Mullin, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.052 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.522, below expectations. GovTrack lists no enacted bill he sponsored in the House.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Missed 118 of 1,917 roll call votes, 6.2 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026, including a hospital stay after knee surgery in early 2025.
Sources: GovTrack, missed votes, San Francisco Chronicle, reprinted on office site, March 4, 2025
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Lists a San Mateo district office and publishes casework totals: 5,364 constituent cases resolved and $5.1 million returned to constituents.
Sources: Office site, Offices, Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.12894 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 357 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Charles Hoelter. No public record found.
Kevin Mullin. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in California's 15th Congressional District?
Kevin Mullin has the strongest record in California's 15th Congressional District. Kevin Mullin scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Kevin Mullin's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Charles Hoelter (4 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in California's 15th Congressional District in 2026?
Charles Hoelter (Republican), Kevin Mullin (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Charles Hoelter a good candidate for Congress?
Charles Hoelter has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Kevin Mullin a good candidate for Congress?
Kevin Mullin scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 38 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every California race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the California 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.