U.S. House, California 29th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 29th Congressional District?
Luz Maria Rivas has the strongest record in California's 29th Congressional District. Luz Maria Rivas scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Luz Maria Rivas's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Angélica María Dueñas (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.
Democratic
Angélica María Dueñas
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Luz Maria Rivas
71 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 75
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.
Angélica María Dueñas
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Luz Maria Rivas
- On the record2026
Voted Nay on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 when Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Caucus Chair Aguilar voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026
- On the record2025
Voted Nay on tabling H.Res. 537, an impeachment resolution, when Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Caucus Chair Aguilar voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 175, 2025
- Credit2022
Rated Meets expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in each Assembly term; 20 of 38 bills she sponsored became law in 2021 to 2022, ranking 8th of 66 Assembly Democrats.
- Credit2021
Chaired the Assembly Natural Resources Committee in the 2021 to 2022 and 2023 to 2024 sessions.
Source: Ballotpedia, Luz Maria Rivas
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Angélica María Dueñas. FEC committee reports are on file through June 30, 2026, with no administrative fine; a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Oct. 7, 2026.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10083036, FEC administrative fines search
Luz Maria Rivas. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 3, 2026 after extensions. No periodic transaction reports, House Ethics matter or FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081225, House Committee on Ethics site search for Rivas, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. Voted against her party's leaders several times in 2025 and 2026, among them the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the GENIUS Act, a motion to table an impeachment resolution and a war powers resolution.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, GENIUS Act, House Clerk Roll Call 175, 2025, motion to table H.Res. 537, House Clerk Roll Call 201, 2026, war powers resolution
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. Electrical engineer, nonprofit founder, Assemblymember from 2018 to 2024 and in Congress since 2025. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Luz Maria Rivas, House Committee on Ethics site search for Rivas
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. Has held sworn state and federal office since 2018; took her House seat in January 2025, after the January 2021 count. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Wikipedia, Luz Rivas, GovTrack, Luz Rivas
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Angélica María Dueñas. Human resources manager and specialist, former president of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council and 2016 regional campaign coordinator for a presidential campaign. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Angélica Dueñas
Luz Maria Rivas. Served in the California Assembly from 2018 to 2024 (more than two terms) and in the U.S. House since January 2025; earlier an electrical design engineer and nonprofit executive director.
Sources: Wikipedia, Luz Rivas, GovTrack, Luz Rivas
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Angélica María Dueñas. Stated priorities in general terms in a La Opinión interview: education, housing, job creation and universal health care, plus a district community empowerment office.
Source: La Opinión, Dec. 6, 2023
Luz Maria Rivas. Chaired the Assembly Natural Resources Committee in 2021 to 2024; now on the House Natural Resources and Science, Space, and Technology committees, with bills in those fields.
Sources: Ballotpedia, state committee assignments, GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Angélica María Dueñas. Explained her positions in a La Opinión interview; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and no 2026 campaign site was opened.
Sources: La Opinión, Dec. 6, 2023, Ballotpedia, Angélica Dueñas
Luz Maria Rivas. Offers an e-newsletter and posts statements explaining her votes. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Luz Maria Rivas
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Angélica María Dueñas. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and a former Sun Valley neighborhood council president; Sun Valley is in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 97 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: La Opinión, Dec. 6, 2023, FEC contribution totals by state
Luz Maria Rivas. A Pacoima native who graduated from San Fernando High School in 1991; her district office is in Arleta. FEC by-state totals show about 77 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: NBC Los Angeles, NewsConference, Dec. 29, 2024, Ballotpedia, Luz Maria Rivas, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Angélica María Dueñas. 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
Luz Maria Rivas. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no administrative fine; founded and ran the nonprofit DIY Girls.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Ballotpedia, Luz Maria Rivas
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. No House effectiveness score yet. In the Assembly, state legislative effectiveness data rate her Meets expectations each term; 20 of 38 bills she sponsored became law in 2021 to 2022 and 12 of 26 in 2023 to 2024.
Source: CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Assembly 2021 to 2022
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. Missed 7 of 676 roll call votes, 1.0 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. Runs a district office in Arleta and offers constituent services. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Angélica María Dueñas. No public record found.
Luz Maria Rivas. 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 29th Congressional District?
Luz Maria Rivas has the strongest record in California's 29th Congressional District. Luz Maria Rivas scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Luz Maria Rivas's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Angélica María Dueñas (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 29th Congressional District in 2026?
Angélica María Dueñas (Democratic), Luz Maria Rivas (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Angélica María Dueñas a good candidate for Congress?
Angélica María Dueñas 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 Luz Maria Rivas a good candidate for Congress?
Luz Maria Rivas scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 75 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, and the California 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.