U.S. House, California 37th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated October 9, 2026

Who should I vote for in California's 37th Congressional District?

Sydney Kamlager-Dove has the strongest record in California's 37th Congressional District. Sydney Kamlager-Dove scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Sydney Kamlager-Dove's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Samantha Mota (5 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 · incumbent

Strongest record

Sydney Kamlager-Dove

66 / 100

Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria

Character: 55
Qualifications: 80
Performance: 63

Campaign site Official office FEC filings

Democratic

Samantha Mota

Not enough public record for a score

Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria

Character: 50
Qualifications: 44
Performance: NR

Campaign site FEC filings

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.

Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Unresolved2025-04-03
Journalist Matt Taibbi sued her for libel in April 2025 over a House hearing remark; a federal court dismissed the amended complaint without prejudice June 8, 2026, and he appealed July 8, 2026.
Where it stands: Dismissed without prejudice June 8, 2026 after the United States was substituted as defendant under the Westfall Act; plaintiff's appeal to the Third Circuit noticed July 8, 2026. Docket checked 2026-10-09: no filing after the July 8, 2026 notice of appeal and no Third Circuit ruling found.
Source: CourtListener docket, Taibbi v. Kamlager-Dove, 2:25-cv-02275 (D.N.J.)
On the record2026-01-22
Voted Nay on passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, when House Democratic leaders Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026
On the record2025-06-24
Voted Nay on a motion to table an impeachment resolution against President Trump, H. Res. 537, which House Democratic leaders voted to table.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 175, 2025
Credit2025
Rated as exceeding expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 118th Congress, with a Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.844 against a benchmark of 0.522.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset

Samantha Mota

Credit2021-04
Appointed by the Santa Monica City Council in April 2021 as one of 11 members of the city's new Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission, chosen from 71 applicants.
Sources: Santa Monica Daily Press, May 3, 2021, City of Santa Monica press release, April 30, 2021

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 12, 2026 after an extension. No periodic transaction reports, House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076932, House Committee on Ethics site search for Kamlager, FEC administrative fines search

2 / 4

Samantha Mota. Filed a House candidate financial disclosure on July 10, 2025, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through Sept. 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10071757, FEC administrative fines search

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

3 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Voted against her party's three top House leaders several times in 2025 and 2026, including Nay on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 and against tabling a June 2025 impeachment resolution they voted to table.

Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 175, 2025, motion to table H. Res. 537

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Her office announced a health care town hall she held in September 2023. No record found of 2026 general election debates or forums, accepted or declined.

Source: Office press release, Sept. 7, 2023

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Has held elected office since 2015: Los Angeles Community College District board, state Assembly from 2018, state Senate from 2021 and the U.S. House since 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.

Sources: Office site, About, House Committee on Ethics site search for Kamlager

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Has held sworn state and federal office since 2018. Took her House seat in January 2023, after the 2021 electoral count, and no misuse-of-office finding was found.

Source: Ballotpedia, Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

What they bring

Qualifications

Relevant experience

Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.

4 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. In the U.S. House since January 2023 and seeking a third term; served in the California Assembly from 2018 to 2021 and the state Senate from 2021 to 2022.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, GovTrack, missed votes

1 / 4

Samantha Mota. Lists service on Santa Monica's Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission from 2021 and community advocacy; no other documented leadership role or public office found.

Sources: City of Santa Monica, 2022 candidate statement, Campaign site, About

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

4 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia; also serves on the Western Hemisphere subcommittee and on the Judiciary Committee.

Source: GovTrack, committee membership

2 / 4

Samantha Mota. Publishes issue positions in general terms on economic security, immigration reform, universal health care and families.

Source: Campaign site, home page

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

3 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Offers an e-newsletter, publishes issue pages and has held a town hall. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.

Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Sydney Kamlager-Dove

2 / 4

Samantha Mota. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey and publishes issue pages.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Samantha Mota, Campaign site, home page

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

3 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Lives in the district and has held Los Angeles local and state office since 2013. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 67 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.

Sources: Office site, About, FEC contribution totals by state

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. 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

2 / 4

Samantha Mota. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through Sept. 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

4 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.844 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.522, exceeds expectations.

Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Missed 67 of 1,917 roll call votes, 3.5 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.

Source: GovTrack, missed votes

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Lists a Los Angeles district office for local issues and problems with federal agencies and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.

Sources: Office site, About, Office site, home page

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

2 / 4

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.93672 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 317 of 436.

Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores

Samantha Mota. No public record found.

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

Sydney Kamlager-Dove. No public record found.

Samantha Mota. 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 37th Congressional District?

Who is running in California's 37th Congressional District in 2026?

Sydney Kamlager-Dove (Democratic, incumbent), Samantha Mota (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is Sydney Kamlager-Dove a good candidate for Congress?

Sydney Kamlager-Dove scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Samantha Mota a good candidate for Congress?

Samantha Mota has public evidence on 5 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.

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.