U.S. House, California 43rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 43rd Congressional District?
Maxine Waters has the strongest record in California's 43rd Congressional District. Maxine Waters scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Maxine Waters's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cristian Morales (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
Cristian Morales
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Maxine Waters
59 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 50
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.
Cristian Morales
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Maxine Waters
- Mark against2025-04-29
The FEC accepted a conciliation agreement in which her committee, Citizens for Waters, paid a $68,000 civil penalty for 2020 misreporting, excessive contributions and cash disbursements (MUR 8270).
Sources: FEC, MUR 8270, FEC, MUR 8270 conciliation agreement
- Mark against2017-01-06
Rose in the Jan. 6, 2017 joint session with a letter of objection to certified electors; the Vice President ruled it could not be received without a senator's signature.
- Mark against2005-01-06
Voted Yea on the objection to counting Ohio's certified electoral votes in the Jan. 6, 2005 joint session; the objection failed 31 to 267.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 7, Jan. 6, 2005, Congressional Record, House, Jan. 6, 2005
- Unresolved2023-05-10
A defamation suit by her 2020 opponent Joe Collins over her claim he was dishonorably discharged was reinstated by the California Court of Appeal in May 2023 and remanded to trial court.
Where it stands: Reinstated on appeal May 10, 2023 and pending on remand in Los Angeles Superior Court; no final judgment found.
Sources: Collins III v. Waters, Court of Appeal, Second District (2023), KFI AM 640 (City News Service), Nov. 4, 2023
- On the record2025-07-17
Voted Nay, against Minority Leader Jeffries, on final passage of the GENIUS Act stablecoin bill, which passed 308 to 122.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 200, July 17, 2025 (GENIUS Act)
- On the record2021-04-19
Told protesters in Minnesota in April 2021 to get more confrontational if Derek Chauvin was not convicted; the trial judge denied a mistrial but said her remarks might give grounds for appeal.
Sources: Al Jazeera, April 20, 2021, CBS Los Angeles, April 2021
- On the record2017-04-19
PolitiFact rated Pants on Fire her April 2017 statement that she had not called for President Trump's impeachment.
Source: PolitiFact, April 19, 2017
- Credit2025
The Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her lawmaking in the 118th Congress as exceeding expectations for a member in her position.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, House data file 93rd to 118th Congress
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Cristian Morales. Statement of candidacy filed with the FEC March 21, 2026, and a House Clerk notice that he had not raised or spent over $5,000. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate notice, Filing ID 40004951, FEC administrative fines search
Maxine Waters. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 13, 2026; no periodic transaction reports in the 2019 to 2026 Clerk indexes. No House Ethics finding in the last 10 years found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Voted against Minority Leader Jeffries on several significant 2025 votes, including Nay on final passage of the GENIUS Act stablecoin bill and Nay on tabling an impeachment resolution.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 200, July 17, 2025 (GENIUS Act), House Clerk Roll Call 175, June 24, 2025 (motion to table H.Res. 537)
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Hosts public town hall meetings in the district, for example in Gardena in 2017. No 2026 general election debate or forum found, accepted or declined.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. More than 40 years in state and federal elected office with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding. In 2021 the Chauvin trial judge criticized her protest remarks; that was not a formal finding (see Record).
Sources: Waters House office, About, CBS Los Angeles, April 2021
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Voted Yea on Jan. 6, 2005 on the objection to counting Ohio's certified electoral votes, and rose to object to certified electors in the 2001 and 2017 joint sessions. Under E2 and E24 that scores 1.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 7, Jan. 6, 2005, Congressional Record, House, Jan. 6, 2005, Congressional Record, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Record, House, Jan. 6, 2001
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Cristian Morales. Manufacturing executive with a 20-year career in automotive, aerospace and defense, including work as a director of operations. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Cristian Morales
Maxine Waters. In the U.S. House since 1991 after 14 years in the California State Assembly, where she was Democratic Caucus Chair.
Sources: GovTrack, Maxine Waters, Waters House office, About
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Cristian Morales. Publishes general positions on government size, borders, public safety and party outreach.
Source: Campaign site
Maxine Waters. Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, which she chaired in 2019 to 2023, and introduces detailed bills such as H.R. 7565 in 2026.
Sources: House Financial Services Committee, Committee Members, Waters House office, press releases
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Cristian Morales. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and publishes a campaign platform page.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Cristian Morales, Campaign site
Maxine Waters. Communicates through an email newsletter, published issue pages and public town halls. No Ballotpedia survey found for 2026.
Sources: Waters House office, Contact, Waters House office, press releases, Waters House office press release, June 24, 2017
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Has represented South Los Angeles in the Assembly and Congress since 1976 and founded local programs after the 1992 unrest. FEC by-state totals show about 58 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Waters House office, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Cristian Morales. Has led manufacturing operations teams. No FEC administrative fine found; the committee reports no financial activity on the FEC site.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Cristian Morales, FEC administrative fines search
Maxine Waters. In 2025 her committee, Citizens for Waters, signed an FEC conciliation agreement and paid a $68,000 civil penalty for misreporting 2020 receipts and disbursements, excessive contributions and cash disbursements (MUR 8270).
Sources: FEC, MUR 8270, FEC, MUR 8270 conciliation agreement
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Center for Effective Lawmaking rates her Legislative Effectiveness Score (LES 2.0) of 1.24 in the 118th Congress as exceeding expectations.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, House data file 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Missed 1,474 of 21,957 roll call votes, 6.7 percent, from January 1991 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, Maxine Waters
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Runs a district office in Hawthorne and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Waters House office, Contact, Waters House office, Services
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.61876 for the 118th Congress (2023), ranked 412 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, House, 118th Congress
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Cristian Morales. No public record found.
Maxine Waters. 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 43rd Congressional District?
Maxine Waters has the strongest record in California's 43rd Congressional District. Maxine Waters scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Maxine Waters's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cristian Morales (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 43rd Congressional District in 2026?
Cristian Morales (Republican), Maxine Waters (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Cristian Morales a good candidate for Congress?
Cristian Morales 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 Maxine Waters a good candidate for Congress?
Maxine Waters scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 50 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.