U.S. House, California 52nd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 52nd Congressional District?
Juan Vargas has the strongest record in California's 52nd Congressional District. Juan Vargas scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Juan Vargas's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Jeff Belle (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
Jeff Belle
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Juan Vargas
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 75
- 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.
Jeff Belle
- Mark against2017
Charged in 2015 with a misdemeanor over a false degree claim in his 2014 official candidate statement; the case was dismissed in 2017 after he completed community service.
Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 6, 2026, KPIX 5 (CBS San Francisco), Nov. 1, 2018, NBC Bay Area, Feb. 15, 2017
- Mark against2014
The Respiratory Care Board of California fined him $8,200 in 2014 for practicing respiratory care without a license; the board said in 2026 it was never paid.
Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 6, 2026, NBC Bay Area, Feb. 15, 2017
- Mark against1990s
Pleaded guilty in Oklahoma to one of two charges of writing bogus checks filed in the 1990s; the second was dismissed in 2007 at the prosecutor's request.
Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 6, 2026, CBS San Francisco, April 8, 2015
- On the record2026-09-06
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September 2026 that he had not filed the House candidate financial disclosure required of congressional candidates; none appears in the Clerk index.
Juan Vargas
- Mark against2001-03-21
In FEC MUR 4742 his 1996 House campaign committee and its treasurer agreed to a $1,100 civil penalty for failing to timely report debt owed to its consultant.
Source: FEC MUR 4742, conciliation agreement, March 21, 2001
- On the record2026-01-22
Voted Nay on passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026
- On the record2018-07-17
In MUR 6865, an opponent's 2014 complaint over contributions tied to Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, the FEC found no reason to believe Vargas or his committee violated the law.
Source: FEC, MUR 6865
- On the record2005-01-14
The Daily Journal reported in January 2005 that he and his 2000 Assembly campaign treasurer agreed to pay a $6,000 FPPC fine to settle allegations of campaign contribution law violations.
Source: Daily Journal, Jan. 14, 2005
- Credit2026
Primary sponsor of H.R. 975, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act, listed by GovTrack as enacted in the 119th Congress.
- Credit2021
Primary sponsor of H.R. 1719, the Emergency Tribal Housing Assistance Act of 2021, enacted into law.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed with the House Clerk on May 11, 2026. No House Ethics matter or FEC fine found; in 2018 the FEC found no reason to believe he or his committee violated the law in MUR 6865.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077073, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC, MUR 6865
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Voted Nay on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (January 2026) and the GENIUS Act (July 2025) when the Democratic leader voted Yea, and Nay on an April 2026 FISA extension his leadership supported.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, GENIUS Act, House Clerk Roll Call 155, 2026, FISA extension
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Served on the San Diego City Council, in the State Assembly and State Senate, and in the House since 2013. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics finding found.
Sources: Office site, About Juan, House Committee on Ethics site search
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jeff Belle. Held sworn office as a Contra Costa County Board of Education trustee, elected in 2014. No official finding of misuse of that office found; the election-statement charge concerned his candidacy and was dismissed.
Juan Vargas. Has held sworn office since 2013 in the House and voted Nay on both January 6, 2021 objections to certified electors. Made no objection in the January 2017 count. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jeff Belle. Served one term on the Contra Costa County Board of Education (elected 2014, lost re-election in 2018), including as vice president, after work in respiratory therapy.
Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 6, 2026, Contra Costa County Board of Education minutes, Oct. 17, 2018
Juan Vargas. In the U.S. House since January 2013, after the State Senate, State Assembly and San Diego City Council.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jeff Belle. His Ballotpedia survey states positions on housing supply, taxes, immigration and border infrastructure, with some proposed bills, mostly in general terms.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jeff Belle, Candidate Connection survey
Juan Vargas. Sits on the House Financial Services Committee and three of its subcommittees. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jeff Belle. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jeff Belle
Juan Vargas. Offers an e-newsletter and publishes issue pages. No town hall or questionnaire found; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jeff Belle. Lists a Chula Vista address with the FEC and moved to the San Diego region after his Contra Costa service. FEC by-state totals show about 93 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: FEC contribution totals by state, San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 6, 2026
Juan Vargas. Raised in National City, in the 52nd District. FEC by-state totals show about 85 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Office site, About Juan, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jeff Belle. 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
Juan Vargas. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine against his committee found (the one 'Vargas for Congress' fine, AF 4853, is a different committee whose candidate lost a general election).
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.323 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.543, meeting expectations. His Credit Union Board Modernization Act (H.R. 975) was enacted in the current Congress.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Missed 160 of 7,608 roll call votes, 2.1 percent, from January 2013 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Lists a district office in Chula Vista and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.73926 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 279 of 436, a negative score above the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jeff Belle. No public record found.
Juan Vargas. 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 52nd Congressional District?
Juan Vargas has the strongest record in California's 52nd Congressional District. Juan Vargas scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Juan Vargas's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Jeff Belle (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 52nd Congressional District in 2026?
Jeff Belle (Republican), Juan Vargas (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jeff Belle a good candidate for Congress?
Jeff Belle 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 Juan Vargas a good candidate for Congress?
Juan Vargas scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 75 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.