U.S. House, California 26th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 26th Congressional District?
Jacqui Irwin has the strongest record in California's 26th Congressional District. Jacqui Irwin scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Jacqui Irwin's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Sam Gallucci (6 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
Sam Gallucci
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Strongest record
Jacqui Irwin
70 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 63
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.
Sam Gallucci
- Creditundated
ABC7 Los Angeles reported that he asked 22 area churches to help turn a run-down Ventura motel into the Kingdom Center, housing for homeless families.
Sources: ABC7 Los Angeles, Pay It Forward: Kingdom Center, NBC News, 2021
Jacqui Irwin
- On the record2026-01-08
Announced her run for the 26th District the same day Rep. Julia Brownley said she would not seek reelection.
Source: KEYT, Jan. 8, 2026
- On the record2019-09-12
Politico reported that she carried California Consumer Privacy Act amendments while her husband was chief operating officer of Ring; she called the article a hack job. No complaint or finding followed.
- Credit2024
Rated Meets expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in all five Assembly terms scored; 22 of 46 bills she sponsored became law in 2021 to 2022, ranking 4th of 66 Assembly Democrats.
- Credit2014
Chaired the Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee from 2014 to 2021 and Revenue and Taxation from 2022 to 2025; now chairs the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies.
Source: Assembly office biography
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Sam Gallucci. FEC committee reports are on file through June 30, 2026, with no administrative fine. No House candidate financial disclosure was found in the Clerk index (E23 hand check).
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jacqui Irwin. House candidate financial disclosure filed May 1, 2026; FEC committee reports on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10074581, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. Thousand Oaks council member from 2004, two-term mayor and Assemblymember since 2014. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Assembly office biography
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. Has held sworn city and state office since 2004. No misuse-of-office finding found; she had no formal role in certifying results.
Source: Assembly office biography
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Sam Gallucci. Ballot designation is business executive and pastor; a publisher biography describes him as a former executive of a customer relationship management software company and church staff member. His campaign says he founded four nonprofits. Has not held public office.
Sources: California SOS certified list of candidates, Penguin Random House author page, Campaign site script text
Jacqui Irwin. Assemblymember since 2014, now in a sixth term (42nd District, earlier the 44th), after three terms on the Thousand Oaks City Council including two as mayor; earlier a systems engineer.
Sources: Wikipedia, Jacqui Irwin, CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Assembly 2015 to 2016
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Sam Gallucci. Publishes specific federal positions, among them a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, tying federal homelessness funds to measured outcomes, cutting VA wait times and expanding the child tax credit.
Source: Campaign site script text
Jacqui Irwin. Chairs the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies and the Select Committee on Cybersecurity; chaired Revenue and Taxation (2022 to 2025) and Military and Veterans Affairs (2014 to 2021). Campaign site states priorities in general terms.
Sources: Assembly office biography, Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Sam Gallucci. Publishes plain-language issue pages on his campaign site. No questionnaire answers found.
Source: Campaign site script text
Jacqui Irwin. Her Assembly office offers email updates and posts district events and bill explanations; the campaign site states priorities briefly. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Assembly office home page, Ballotpedia, Jacqui Irwin
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Sam Gallucci. KCLU and NBC News placed him in Oxnard in 2021 (NBC: senior pastor of Embrace! Church in Oxnard); all of Oxnard is in the 26th District. About 72 percent of itemized individual contributions came from California (FEC).
Sources: KCLU, July 19, 2021, NBC News, 2021, AB 604 city splits report (UC Berkeley Statewide Database, linked by the Senate Elections Committee)
Jacqui Irwin. Lives in Thousand Oaks, in the district, where she has served since her 2004 council election. FEC by-state totals show about 89 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jacqui Irwin, Assembly office biography, Wikipedia, California's 26th congressional district, FEC contribution totals by state, AB 604 city splits report (UC Berkeley Statewide Database, linked by the Senate Elections Committee)
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Sam Gallucci. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jacqui Irwin. Has run an Assembly office with Capitol and Thousand Oaks district offices since 2014 and served as mayor; campaign reports are on file with the FEC with no administrative fine.
Sources: Assembly office biography, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. State legislative effectiveness data rate her Meets expectations in every Assembly term scored; in 2023 to 2024, 18 of 44 bills she sponsored became law, and 22 of 46 in 2021 to 2022.
Source: CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Assembly 2023 to 2024
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. Runs a district office in Thousand Oaks and offers constituent services through her Assembly office. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Assembly office biography, Assembly office home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Sam Gallucci. No public record found.
Jacqui Irwin. 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 26th Congressional District?
Jacqui Irwin has the strongest record in California's 26th Congressional District. Jacqui Irwin scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Jacqui Irwin's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Sam Gallucci (6 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 26th Congressional District in 2026?
Sam Gallucci (Republican), Jacqui Irwin (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Sam Gallucci a good candidate for Congress?
Sam Gallucci has public evidence on 6 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 Jacqui Irwin a good candidate for Congress?
Jacqui Irwin scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 63 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.