U.S. House, California 38th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 38th Congressional District?
Hilda Solis has the strongest record in California's 38th Congressional District. Hilda Solis scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Hilda Solis's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Pedro Antonio Casas (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.
Republican
Pedro Antonio Casas
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 58
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Strongest record
Hilda Solis
62 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 56
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.
Pedro Antonio Casas
- Credit2026-05-06
La Opinion described him in May 2026 as a retired Army colonel and psychologist with a doctorate in counseling psychology from UC Santa Barbara.
Hilda Solis
- On the record2005-01-06
Voted Nay on the January 2005 House objection to Ohio's certified presidential electors.
- Credit2023
Received an honorary degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023.
Source: UNC-Chapel Hill Commencement, Honorary Degree: Hilda Solis, March 27, 2023
- Credit2009
Served as Secretary of Labor from 2009 to January 2013, the first Latina to hold the post.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
- Credit2005
Authored a 2005 amendment barring the testing of pesticides on humans that was later enacted into law.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
- Credit2003
Her San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act was signed into law in 2003 with bipartisan support.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
- Credit2000
Received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000 for her California environmental justice legislation, the first woman to receive it.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure is on file, filed Sept. 9, 2026 after an extension request. No FEC administrative fine or ethics finding found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10072571, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000 for her California environmental justice legislation, the first woman to receive it. No break with her party within the last 10 years was documented.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Pedro Antonio Casas. Reports 29 years of Army service as a psychologist and officer, retiring as a colonel. No conduct finding found.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Hilda Solis. Has held public office for most of the years since 1992, including Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013 and Los Angeles County supervisor since 2014. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, House Committee on Ethics site search for Solis
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Pedro Antonio Casas. Reports 29 years of Army service, retiring as a colonel. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Hilda Solis. Has held sworn state, federal and county office since 1992. Voted Nay on the January 2005 House objection to Ohio's certified electors; no misuse-of-office finding found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Pedro Antonio Casas. Reports 29 years in the Army, including command of the 254th Medical Detachment (Combat and Operational Stress Control) from 2011 to 2013, and later Army behavioral health posts.
Sources: BallotReady, Pedro Antonio Casas, Campaign site, home page
Hilda Solis. Served four full House terms, 2001 to 2009, then as Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013; earlier in the California Assembly and Senate; Los Angeles County supervisor since 2014.
Sources: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, Ballotpedia, Hilda Solis
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Pedro Antonio Casas. Publishes positions in general terms on education, fentanyl, crime, the southern border, inflation and taxes.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Hilda Solis. Chairs the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors since 2025; in the House she was ranking member, then vice chair, of the Energy and Commerce Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee. Publishes issue priorities.
Sources: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, Campaign site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Pedro Antonio Casas. Publishes issue explanations on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's survey.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Hilda Solis. Publishes issue priorities on her campaign site and a District 1 newsletter through her county office. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, County office site, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Born in Los Angeles and a graduate of La Puente High School; Los Angeles County supervisor for the First District for over a decade. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 94 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, NBC Los Angeles, March 24, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Led the U.S. Department of Labor as Secretary from 2009 to 2013. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. In the House she was primary sponsor of five enacted bills, including the San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act of 2003, and was rated above expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 110th Congress.
Sources: GovTrack, Hilda Solis, U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis, Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Missed 217 of 5,386 House roll call votes, 4.0 percent, from January 2001 to February 2009. No published attendance record for her county board service found.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Her county office lists three First District offices and takes constituent requests for help with services. No published casework totals found.
Source: County office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. Her 2003 San Gabriel River Watershed Study Act was signed into law with bipartisan support, and her 2006 resolution on the Ciudad Juarez murders had Republican support.
Source: U.S. House History, Art and Archives, Hilda L. Solis
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Pedro Antonio Casas. No public record found.
Hilda Solis. 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 38th Congressional District?
Hilda Solis has the strongest record in California's 38th Congressional District. Hilda Solis scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Hilda Solis's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Pedro Antonio Casas (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.
Who is running in California's 38th Congressional District in 2026?
Pedro Antonio Casas (Republican), Hilda Solis (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Pedro Antonio Casas a good candidate for Congress?
Pedro Antonio Casas 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.
Is Hilda Solis a good candidate for Congress?
Hilda Solis scores 62 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 56 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.