John Garamendi

John Garamendi

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House California District 8

U.S. House California District 8

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

1

Predecessor

Jay Obernolte

Prior offices

California State Senate

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Lieutenant Governor of California

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U.S. House California District 10

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U.S. House California District 3

Successor: Kevin Kiley

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

(2012) $7,425,007

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Next election

March 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Berkeley, 1966

Graduate

Harvard University, 1970

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Rancher

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

John Garamendi (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 8th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Garamendi (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 8th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the primary on March 5, 2024.

Garamendi represented California's 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2013. Garamendi began his political career in 1974, serving in the California State Assembly until his election to the California State Senate in 1976. Prior to his election to the U.S. House, Garamendi also served as lieutenant governor of California from 2007 to 2009.

Garamendi endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. To read about Garamendi's campaign themes—including education, environment, healthcare, jobs, and military affairs—click here.

Biography

John Garamendi was born in Camp Blanding, Florida. Garamendi earned a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966 and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1970. His career experience includes working as the deputy secretary of the United States Department of the Interior, a businessman, and a rancher. Garamendi served with the United States Peace Corps.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024

Garamendi was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

2021-2022

Garamendi was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• House Committee on Armed Services
• Readiness, Chair
• Strategic Forces
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
• Highways and Transit
• Water Resources and Environment
• Aviation

2019-2020

Garamendi was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• House Committee on Armed Services

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Garamendi was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Armed Services
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

2015-2016

Garamendi served on the following committees:

• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Aviation
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation, Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment

2013-2014

Garamendi served on the following committees:

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Ranking Member

2011-2012

Garamendi served on the following committees:

• Armed Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
  • Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Natural Resources Committee
  • Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (228-206)
Yea	American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-210)
Yea	Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-207)
Yea	Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act   The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (220-204)
Yea	For the People Act of 2021   The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would "expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. ... Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices." The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-210)
Yea	Assault Weapons Ban of 2022   The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-213)
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-70)
Yea	James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended.	Passed (350-80)
Yea	American Dream and Promise Act of 2021   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (228-197)
Yea	Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (342-88)
Yea	Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (243-187)
Yea	Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (218-211)
Yea	SAFE Banking Act of 2021   The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 (H.R. 1996) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses and defining proceeds from such transactions as not being proceeds from unlawful activity, among other related proposals. Since the House moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill in an expedited process, it required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (321-101)
Yea	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (260-171)
Yea	Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system, among other related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (224-206)
Yea	Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (258-169)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (230-201)
Yea	Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act   The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 7688) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit individuals from selling consumer fuels at excessive prices during a proclaimed energy emergency. It would have also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the price of gasoline was being manipulated. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-207)
Yea	Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit the transfer of firearms between private parties unless a licensed firearm vendor conducted a background check on the recipient. The bill also provided for certain exceptions to this requirement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-203)
Yea	Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (220-203)
Yea	Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (234-193)
Yea	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. The article of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (232-197)
Yea	Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (225-201)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020 Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Nay on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))  Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program. Voted Nay on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)  Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018 Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border. Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018 Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Voted Nay on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)  Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Nay on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)  Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017 Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally. Voted Nay on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)  Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017 Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws. Voted Nay on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017 Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)  Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018 Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)  Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)  Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018. Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)  Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.) Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. Voted Nay on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)  Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017 Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)  Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017 Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. Voted Nay on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)  Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017 Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017 Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)  Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. Voted Nay on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)  Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017 Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)  Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)  Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017 Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority. Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)  Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017 The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Garamendi's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Garamendi was one of 144 Democrats to vote against the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Garamendi was one of 157 Democrats to vote against the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Garamendi was one of 158 Democrats to vote against the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Garamendi was one of 175 Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Garamendi voted with 142 other Democrats and eight Republicans against the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Garamendi voted with 134 other Democrats and 235 Republicans to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, including Garamendi, voted against the resolution. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Garamendi voted with 186 Democrats and 79 Republicans in favor of the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Garamendi voted with 176 Democrats to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Garamendi voted with 161 Democrats for the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Garamendi voted with 185 Democrats against the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Garamendi voted with 185 Democrats against the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Garamendi voted with 185 Democrats and 127 Republicans in favor of the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Garamendi voted with 141 Democrats and 196 Republicans to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Garamendi voted with 179 Democrats against the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Garamendi voted with 134 Democrats and 220 Republicans to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Garamendi voted with 104 Democrats and 202 Republicans in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Garamendi voted with 46 Democrats and 242 Republicans in favor of the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Garamendi's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security NDAA Garamendi voted for HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. DHS Appropriations Garamendi voted against HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 that was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Garamendi voted for HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. Economy Farm bill On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Garamendi voted with 88 other Democratic representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection of the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Garamendi joined with the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Garamendi voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Garamendi voted for HR 2775. Federal Pay Adjustment Elimination Garamendi voted for HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees. The bill passed the House on February 15, 2013, with a vote of 261 - 154. The bill called for stopping a 0.5 percent pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect. The raises were projected to cost $11 billion over 10 years. Garamendi was 1 of 44 Democrats who supported the bill, while 144 voted against it. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Garamendi voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules Garamendi voted against House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires that all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Social issues Abortion Garamendi voted against HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196 that largely followed party lines. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Garamendi voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 172 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Elections

2024

See also: California's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

General election

The primary will occur on March 5, 2024. The general election will occur on November 5, 2024. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 8

Incumbent John Garamendi and Rudy Recile are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 8 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		John Garamendi (D)
		Rudy Recile (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2022

See also: California's 8th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 8

Incumbent John Garamendi defeated Rudy Recile in the general election for U.S. House California District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	75.7	145,501
		Rudy Recile (R)	24.3	46,634

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 192,135
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 8

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 8 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	63.1	72,333
✔		Rudy Recile (R)	20.5	23,518
		Cheryl Sudduth (D)	9.9	11,378
		Christopher Riley (D)	3.4	3,926
		Edwin Rutsch (D)	2.9	3,268
		Demnlus Johnson (D) (Write-in)	0.2	234

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 114,657
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: California's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 3

Incumbent John Garamendi defeated Tamika Hamilton in the general election for U.S. House California District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	54.7	176,043
		Tamika Hamilton (R)	45.3	145,945

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 321,988
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 3

Incumbent John Garamendi and Tamika Hamilton defeated Sean Feucht in the primary for U.S. House California District 3 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	59.2	110,504
✔		Tamika Hamilton (R)	27.3	50,925
		Sean Feucht (R)	13.5	25,243

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 186,672
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gregory Van Dyke (R)

2018

See also: California's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 3

Incumbent John Garamendi defeated Charlie Schaupp in the general election for U.S. House California District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	58.1	134,875
		Charlie Schaupp (R)	41.9	97,376

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 232,251
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 3

Incumbent John Garamendi and Charlie Schaupp defeated Kevin Puett in the primary for U.S. House California District 3 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Garamendi (D)	53.6	74,552
✔		Charlie Schaupp (R)	42.1	58,598
		Kevin Puett (D)	4.3	5,971

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 139,121
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: California's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent John Garamendi (D) defeated Eugene Cleek (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Garamendi and Cleek defeated Ryan Detert (R) in the top-two primary on June 7, 2016.

U.S. House, California District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Garamendi Incumbent	59.4%	152,513
	Republican	Eugene Cleek	40.6%	104,453
Total Votes				256,966
Source: California Secretary of State

U.S. House, California District 3 Primary, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Garamendi Incumbent	63.1%	98,430
	Republican	Eugene Cleek	24.3%	37,843
	Republican	Ryan Detert	12.6%	19,699
Total Votes				155,972
Source: California Secretary of State

2014

See also: California's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

Garamendi won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He and Dan Logue advanced past the blanket primary on June 3, 2014, unopposed. Garamendi went on to defeat Logue in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, California District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Garamendi Incumbent	52.7%	79,224
	Republican	Dan Logue	47.3%	71,036
Total Votes				150,260
Source: California Secretary of State

2012

See also: California's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Garamendi won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 3rd District as a Democrat. He was displaced from the 10th District by redistricting. He and Kim Dolbow Vann (R) advanced past the blanket primary on June 5, 2012, defeating Tony Carlos (R), Eugene Ray (R) and Rick Tubbs (R). Garamendi then defeated Vann in the general election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, California District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Garamendi Incumbent	54.2%	126,882
	Republican	Kim Vann	45.8%	107,086
Total Votes				233,968
Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

U.S. House, California District 3 Open Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Garamendi (D) Incumbent	51.5%	59,546
Kim Vann (R)	26.2%	30,254
Rick Tubbs (R)	15.5%	17,902
Tony Carlos (R)	4.8%	5,541
Eugene Ray (R)	2.1%	2,438
Total Votes		115,681

Effect of redistricting

See also: Redistricting in California

Following California's redistricting, Garamendi was displaced from the 10th into the 3rd District.

According to the Washington Post, redistricting transformed the 3rd District into a swing district. While Garamendi's seat was formerly a safe one, the newly drawn district became a battleground for Republicans and Democrats fighting for control of the House.

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for John Garamendi, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, John Garamendi won election to the United States House. He defeated Gary Clift (R) and Jeremy Cloward (G) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 10 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic John Garamendi incumbent 58.8% 137,578      Republican Gary Clift 37.9% 88,512      Green Jeremy Cloward 3.3% 7,716 Total Votes 233,806 2009 On November 3, 2009, John Garamendi won election to the United States House. He defeated David Harmer (R), Jeremy Cloward (G), Jerome Denham (AI) and Mary McIlroy (P&F) in the special election. U.S. House, California District 10 Special Election, 2009 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic John Garamendi 52.8% 72,817      Republican David Harmer 42.8% 59,017      Green Jeremy Cloward 1.8% 2,515      Peace and Freedom Mary McIlroy 1.3% 1,846      American Independent Jerome Denham 1.2% 1,591 Total Votes 137,786

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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2022

John Garamendi did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

John Garamendi did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

The following issues were listed on Garamendi's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“ Jobs: Garamendi believes Congress must invest in transportation, clean technology, education, and research; help Make It In America; responsibly pay down the deficit; and extend tax savings to hard working middle class families and small businesses. Health Care: Congressman Garamendi, California's Insurance Commissioner for eight years, believes every American deserves access to quality affordable health coverage. Education: In the halls of Congress and throughout his career, Congressman Garamendi has been a fierce advocate for students and teachers, believing that America's prosperity depends on a well-educated workforce. Environment: In his first years in office, Congressman John Garamendi has been a recognized leader for the environment in Congress, someone willing to take on the entrenched interests that threaten our economy, national security, and treasured national wonders for short term greed. Seniors: Congressman John Garamendi believes every American deserves the right to retire with dignity. He is resolutely opposed to all efforts to privatize Social Security, dismantle Medicare, and defund Medicaid/MediCal. ” —John Garamendi's campaign website, http://www.garamendi.org

2014

Garamendi's campaign website listed the following issues:

“ Education Excerpt: " In the halls of Congress and throughout his career, Congressman Garamendi has been a fierce advocate for students and teachers, believing that America's prosperity depends on a well-educated workforce. Garamendi has consistently spoken out against destructive cuts to all levels of education." Environment Excerpt: "In his first years in office, Congressman John Garamendi has been a recognized leader for the environment in Congress, someone willing to take on the entrenched interests that threaten our economy, national security, and treasured national wonders for short term greed. It's a reputation Garamendi has carried with him after decades of public service." Healthcare Excerpt: "One of Congressman Garamendi's first acts in Congress was to pass the Patient's Bill of Rights, sweeping legislation that makes significant progress in preventing the insurance companies from exploiting consumers and greatly expands health care access and services." Jobs Excerpt: "Since entering Congress November of 2009, Congressman Garamendi has been a leader in promoting policies that create jobs in Northern California and throughout the country. Garamendi understands that it is the responsibility of Congress to invest in transportation, clean technology, education, and research while also extending tax relief for hard working middle class families." Military Affairs and Foreign Relations Excerpt: "America’s moral authority as the world’s leader of free nations rests on a devotion to human rights and individual liberty for all citizens of all nations." ”

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable endorsements by John Garamendi

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Joe Biden  source  (D)	President of the United States (2020)		Won General
Hillary Clinton  source  (D)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Lost General

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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John Garamendi campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions
2024	U.S. House California District 8	On the Ballot primary	$250,859
2022	U.S. House California District 8	Won general	$1,146,918
2020	U.S. House California District 3	Won general	$1,103,806
2018	U.S. House California District 3	Won general	$1,120,045
2016	U.S. House, California District 3	Won general	$1,136,367
2014	U.S. House (California, District 3)	Won general	$1,457,786
2012	U.S. House California District 3	Won general	$2,065,819
2010	U.S. House California District 10	Won general	$1,764,354
Grand total raised			$10,045,954
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission * This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

2018

U.S. House California District 3 2018 election - Campaign Contributions
Top industry contributors to John Garamendi's campaign in 2018
Labor	$262,814.00
Transportation	$84,500.00
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	$73,340.00
General Business	$62,650.00
Agriculture	$47,221.60
Total Raised in 2018	$0.00
Total Spent	$839,434.81
Source: Follow the Money

2020

U.S. House California District 3 2020 election - Campaign Contributions
Top individual contributors to John Garamendi's campaign in 2020
Farm Credit Council	$10,000.00
Transport Workers Union	$10,000.00
California Rice Industry Assn	$10,000.00
Home Depot	$10,000.00
Carpenters & Joiners Union	$10,000.00
American Waterways Operators	$10,000.00
Raytheon Technologies	$10,000.00
Marine Engineers Beneficial Assn/Dist 1	$10,000.00
Saltchuk Resources	$10,000.00
American Maritime Officers	$10,000.00
Total Raised in 2020	$1,061,086.16
Total Spent	$717,060.34
Source: Follow the Money

2018

U.S. House California District 3 2018 election - Campaign Contributions
Top individual contributors to John Garamendi's campaign in 2018
HARRELL-HORN, CYNTHIA (CINDY)	$5,400.00
MEDVITZ, ALBERT	$5,400.00
NORENE, R DONALD	$5,400.00
BROSAMER, ROBERT	$5,400.00
THORNTON, JAMES RICHARD	$5,400.00
Total Raised in 2018	$0.00
Total Spent	$839,434.81
Source: Follow the Money

2016

Garamendi won re-election to the U.S. House in 2016. During that election cycle, Garamendi's campaign committee raised a total of $1,136,367 and spent $847,354. This is less than the average $1.46 million spent by U.S. House winners in 2016.

Cost per vote

Garamendi spent $5.56 per general election vote received in 2016.

U.S. House, California District 3, 2016 - John Garamendi Campaign Contributions

Total Raised	$1,136,367
Total Spent	$847,354
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$380,754
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$368,386
Top contributors to John Garamendi's campaign committee
American Pilots Assn	$13,000
California Rice Industry Assn	$12,133
Marine Engineers Beneficial Assn	$11,125
Saban Capital Group	$10,800
Norene Ranches	$10,500
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Transportation Unions	$99,625
Lawyers/Law Firms	$61,012
Real Estate	$60,917
Building Trade Unions	$60,800
Sea Transport	$54,700
Source: Open Secrets

2014

Garamendi won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. During that election cycle, Garamendi's campaign committee raised a total of $1,457,786 and spent $1,290,607. This is less than the average $1.45 million spent by House winners in 2014.

Cost per vote

Garamendi spent $16.29 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. House, California District 3, 2014 - John Garamendi Campaign Contributions

Total Raised	$1,457,786
Total Spent	$1,290,607
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$827,862
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$815,768
Top contributors to John Garamendi's campaign committee
American Waterways Operators	$12,306
California Rice Industry Assn	$12,124
American Pilots Assn	$12,000
Sitzmann, Morris & Lavis	$11,700
JStreetPAC	$11,600
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Transportation Unions	$101,250
Lawyers/Law Firms	$69,100
Sea Transport	$64,106
Building Trade Unions	$61,050
Public Sector Unions	$58,370
Source: Open Secrets

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Garamendi's campaign funds before the 2014 election.

Below are Garamendi's FEC reports.

John Garamendi (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$40,280.08	$148,060.48	$(129,067.97)	$59,272.59
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$59,272.59	$180,721.31	$(115,796.84)	$124,197.06
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$124,197.06	$154,683.54	$(86,165.31)	$192,715.29
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$192,715	$115,073	$(91,604)	$216,183
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$216,183	$144,451	$(112,658)	$247,977
Pre-Primary	May 22, 2014	$247,977	$102,418	$(85,832)	$264,562
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$264,562	$144,814	$(66,943)	$342,433
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$342,433	$220,056	$(243,078)	$319,411
			Running totals
			$1,210,277.33	$(931,145.12)

2012

Garamendi won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Garamendi's campaign committee raised a total of $2,065,819 and spent $2,064,921. This is more than the average $1.5 million spent by House winners in 2012.

Cost per vote

Garamendi spent $16.27 per vote received in 2012.

U.S. House, California District 3, 2012 - John Garamendi Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$2,065,819
Total Spent	$2,064,921
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$1,237,746
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$1,219,261
Top contributors to John Garamendi's campaign committee
JStreetPAC	$24,200
Sitzmann, Morris & Lavis	$17,000
Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte	$15,000
Gallo Winery	$13,000
Calpine Corp	$10,250
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Leadership PACs	$102,000
Lawyers/Law Firms	$92,801
Real Estate	$78,415
Public Sector Unions	$74,590
Building Trade Unions	$73,000

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Garamendi's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

2010

Garamendi won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Garamendi's campaign committee raised a total of $1,764,354 and spent $1,714,971.

His top five contributors between 2009-2010 were:

U.S. House, California District 10, 2010 - John Garamendi Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$1,764,354
Total Spent	$1,714,971
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$36,670
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$36,669
Top contributors to John Garamendi's campaign committee
Operating Engineers Union	$20,500
Carpenters & Joiners Union	$20,000
Communications Workers of America	$20,000
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers	$20,000
Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union	$20,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$206,737
Real Estate	$124,440
Building Trade Unions	$91,500
Industrial Unions	$82,500
Public Sector Unions	$77,750

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Garamendi's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Garamendi's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $1,934,018 and $12,915,996. That averages to $7,425,007, which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Garamendi ranked as the 52nd most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, Garamendi's calculated net worth increased by an average of 46 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

John Garamendi Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2009	$3,127,611
2012	$7,425,007
Growth from 2009 to 2012:	137%
Average annual growth:	46%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Garamendi received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 2009-2014, 25.29 percent of Garamendi's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

John Garamendi Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$4,820,546
Total Spent	$4,437,963
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$369,838
Real Estate	$232,640
Building Trade Unions	$211,850
Transportation Unions	$208,500
Public Sector Unions	$196,210
% total in top industry	7.67%
% total in top two industries	12.5%
% total in top five industries	25.29%

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Garamendi's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for John Garamendi
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
California Proposition 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2022)	2022	Supported	a Approved

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Garamendi was a rank-and-file Democrat as of July 2014. This was the same rating Garamendi received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Garamendi most often votes with:

• Dina Titus
• Chris Gibson

Garamendi least often votes with:

• Jim Matheson
• Jeff Duncan

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Garamendi missed 194 of 4,113 roll call votes from November 2009 to September 2015. This amounted to 4.7 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Garamendi paid his congressional staff a total of $836,718 in 2011. He ranked 10th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 84th overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, California ranked 5th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Garamendi ranked 152nd in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Garamendi ranked 156th in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Garamendi ranked 24th in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Garamendi voted with the Democratic Party 89.2 percent of the time, which ranked 164th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.

2013

Garamendi voted with the Democratic Party 91.5 percent of the time, which ranked 167th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Garamendi is married and has six children. His wife, Patti, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1992 against Republican Richard Pombo.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jay Obernolte (R)	U.S. House California District 8 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	U.S. House California District 3 2013-2023	Succeeded by Kevin Kiley (R)
Preceded by -	U.S. House California District 10 2009-2013	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Lieutenant Governor of California 2007-2009	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	California State Senate 1976-1990	Succeeded by -

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California's current delegation to the United States Congress

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Laphonza Butler (D)

Alex Padilla (D)

Representatives

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Doug LaMalfa (R)

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

District 3

Kevin Kiley (R)

District 4

Mike Thompson (D)

District 5

Tom McClintock (R)

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Ami Bera (D)

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Doris Matsui (D)

District 8

John Garamendi (D)

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Josh Harder (D)

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Mark DeSaulnier (D)

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Nancy Pelosi (D)

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Barbara Lee (D)

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John Duarte (R)

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Eric Swalwell (D)

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Kevin Mullin (D)

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Anna Eshoo (D)

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Ro Khanna (D)

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Zoe Lofgren (D)

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Jimmy Panetta (D)

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Vacant

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Jim Costa (D)

District 22

David Valadao (R)

District 23

Jay Obernolte (R)

District 24

Salud Carbajal (D)

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Raul Ruiz (D)

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Julia Brownley (D)

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Mike Garcia (R)

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Judy Chu (D)

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Tony Cárdenas (D)

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Adam Schiff (D)

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Grace Napolitano (D)

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Brad Sherman (D)

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Pete Aguilar (D)

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Jimmy Gomez (D)

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Norma Torres (D)

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Ted Lieu (D)

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Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)

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Linda Sánchez (D)

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Mark Takano (D)

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Young Kim (R)

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Ken Calvert (R)

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Robert Garcia (D)

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Maxine Waters (D)

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Nanette Barragán (D)

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Michelle Steel (R)

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Lou Correa (D)

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Katie Porter (D)

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Darrell Issa (R)

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Mike Levin (D)

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Scott Peters (D)

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Sara Jacobs (D)

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Juan Vargas (D)

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