Maxine Waters

Maxine Waters

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House California District 43

U.S. House California District 43

Tenure

2013 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

11

Prior offices

California State Assembly

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U.S. House California District 29

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U.S. House California District 35

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

(2012) $964,007

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Next election

March 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

California State University, Los Angeles, 1970

Personal

Religion

Christian

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Maxine Waters (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 43rd Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2013. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Waters (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 43rd Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the primary on March 5, 2024.

Waters has served in the U.S. House since 1991— serving California's 29th Congressional District from 1991 to 1993, the 35th District from 1993 to 2013, and the 43rd District since 2013. Waters served in the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991.

In her 2018 re-election bid, Waters defeated Omar Navarro (R) by a vote of 77.7 percent to Navarro's 22.3 percent. Waters has never garnered less than 71 percent of the vote in every general election she has run in since 1990.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Waters' academic, professional, and political career:

• 2013-Present: U.S. Representative from California's 43rd Congressional District
• 1993-2013: U.S. Representative from California's 35th Congressional District
• 1991-1993: U.S. Representative from California's 29th Congressional District
• 1977-1991: California State Assembly
• 1972-1988: Delegate, Democratic National Conventions
• 1970: Graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with B.A.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024

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

• Committee on Financial Services, Ranking Member

2021-2022

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

• Committee on Financial Services, Chair

2019-2020

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

• Committee on Financial Services, Chair

2017-2018

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

• Committee on Financial Services

2015-2016

Waters served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee, Ranking Member
  • Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, Ex Officio

2013-2014

Walters served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee, Ranking Member

2011-2012

• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement
  • Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet

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 Nay 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 Nay 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 Nay 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 Nay 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. 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 Nay 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 Nay 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. 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. Did not vote 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. Did not vote 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 Nay 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 Waters'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. Waters 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. Waters 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.). Waters 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. Waters 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." Waters 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. Waters 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 Waters, 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. Waters 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. Waters 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. Waters 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." Waters 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. Waters 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. Waters 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." Waters voted with 40 Democrats and 47 Republicans against 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. Waters 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. Waters voted with 43 Democrats and 19 Republicans against 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. Waters voted with 78 Democrats and 37 Republicans against 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. Waters voted with 134 Democrats and two Republicans against 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 Waters's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security NDAA Waters 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 Waters 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) Waters voted against 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, known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill provides for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other 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. Waters voted with 102 other Democratic representatives against 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. Waters 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. Waters 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. Waters voted for HR 2775. Federal Pay Adjustment Act Waters voted against 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. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Waters 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 Waters 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 Waters 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 Waters 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. She was 1 of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Noteworthy events

Ethics charges

In 2010, the Office of Congressional Ethics charged Waters with improper requests for a meeting with Treasury officials for OneUnited Bank. Waters' husband owned stock in the bank and served as a director until a few months before Waters requested those meetings. OneUnited reportedly got an infusion of TARP money, which could have protected an estimated $200,000 in bank stock owned by Waters' husband.

On June 6, 2012, the House Ethics Committee announced they would go ahead with the investigation, which had been delayed due to charges by Waters that lawyers for the committee were biased and violated House rules. In July 2011, Billy Martin, a former Justice Department prosecutor, was brought in to act as outside counsel. His inquiry corroborated some of Waters' allegations, but concluded that a fair hearing was not denied.

The committee announced on September 21, 2012, that Waters did not violate House rules.

Elections

2024

See also: California's 43rd 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 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters, Gregory Cheadle, David Knight, Chris B. Wiggins, and Steve Williams are running in the primary for U.S. House California District 43 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Maxine Waters (D)
		Gregory Cheadle (D)
		David Knight (R)
		Chris B. Wiggins (D)
		Steve Williams (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Regina Simes (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters defeated Omar Navarro in the general election for U.S. House California District 43 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	77.3	95,462
		Omar Navarro (R)	22.7	27,985

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 123,447
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters and Omar Navarro defeated Allison Pratt and Jean M. Monestime in the primary for U.S. House California District 43 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	74.3	55,889
✔		Omar Navarro (R)	11.9	8,927
		Allison Pratt (R)	7.3	5,489
		Jean M. Monestime (D)	6.6	4,952

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,257
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters defeated Joe Collins in the general election for U.S. House California District 43 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	71.7	199,210
		Joe Collins (R)	28.3	78,688

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 277,898
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters and Joe Collins defeated Omar Navarro in the primary for U.S. House California District 43 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	78.1	100,468
✔		Joe Collins (R)	11.0	14,189
		Omar Navarro (R)	10.8	13,939

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 128,596
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ron Kelly (Independent)
• Reginald Keys (Independent)

2018

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters defeated Omar Navarro in the general election for U.S. House California District 43 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	77.7	152,272
		Omar Navarro (R)	22.3	43,780

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 196,052
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 43

Incumbent Maxine Waters and Omar Navarro defeated Frank DeMartini, Edwin Duterte, and Miguel Angel Zuniga in the primary for U.S. House California District 43 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maxine Waters (D)	72.3	63,908
✔		Omar Navarro (R)	14.2	12,522
		Frank DeMartini (R)	7.0	6,156
		Edwin Duterte (R)	4.2	3,673
		Miguel Angel Zuniga (G)	2.3	2,074

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 88,333
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Forest Baker (R)
• Candance Camper (R)

2016

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Maxine Waters (D) defeated Omar Navarro (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Both candidates advanced past the top-two primary on June 7, 2016, by default.

U.S. House, California District 43 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Maxine Waters Incumbent	76.1%	167,017
	Republican	Omar Navarro	23.9%	52,499
Total Votes				219,516
Source: California Secretary of State

U.S. House, California District 43 Primary, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Maxine Waters Incumbent	76.1%	92,909
	Republican	Omar Navarro	23.9%	29,152
Total Votes				122,061
Source: California Secretary of State

2014

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District elections, 2014

Waters won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. She and John Wood (R) advanced past the blanket primary on June 3, 2014, unopposed. Waters went on to defeat Wood in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, California District 43 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Maxine Waters Incumbent	71%	69,681
	Republican	John Wood	29%	28,521
Total Votes				98,202
Source: California Secretary of State

2012

See also: California's 43rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Waters won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing California's 43rd District as a Democrat. She was displaced from her former district, the 35th, by redistricting. She and Bob Flores (D) advanced past the blanket primary on June 5, 2012. Waters went on to defeat Flores in the general election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, California District 43 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Maxine Waters Incumbent	71.2%	143,123
	Democratic	Bob Flores	28.8%	57,771
Total Votes				200,894
Source: California Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Full history

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

2010 On November 2, 2010, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated K. Bruce Brown (R) and Suleiman Charles Edmondson (Write-in) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 79.3% 98,131      Republican K. Bruce Brown 20.7% 25,561      N/A Suleiman Charles Edmondson 0% 2 Total Votes 123,694 2008 On November 4, 2008, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Ted Hayes (R) and Herb Peters (L) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 82.6% 150,778      Republican Ted Hayes 13.2% 24,169      Libertarian Herb Peters 4.2% 7,632 Total Votes 182,579 2006 On November 7, 2006, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) and Paul Ireland (L) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 83.7% 82,498      Republican Gordon Michael Mego 8.5% 8,343      Libertarian Paul Ireland 7.8% 7,665 Total Votes 98,506 2004 On November 2, 2004, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Ross Moen (R), Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) and Charles Tate (L) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 80.5% 125,949      Republican Ross Moen 15.1% 23,591      American Independent Gordon Michael Mego 2.2% 3,440      Libertarian Charles Tate 2.2% 3,427 Total Votes 156,407 2002 On November 5, 2002, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Ross Moen (R) and Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 77.5% 72,401      Republican Ross Moen 19.4% 18,094      American Independent Gordon Michael Mego 3.1% 2,912 Total Votes 93,407 2000 On November 7, 2000, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Carl McGill (R), Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) and Rick Joseph Dunstan (Natural Law) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 86.5% 100,569      Republican Carl McGill 10.8% 12,582      American Independent Gordon Michael Mego 1.6% 1,911      Natural Law Rick Joseph Dunstan 1% 1,153 Total Votes 116,215 1998 On November 3, 1998, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 89.3% 78,732      American Independent Gordon Michael Mego 10.7% 9,413 Total Votes 88,145 1996 On November 5, 1996, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Eric Carlson (R) and Gordon Michael Mego (American Independent) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 1996 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 85.5% 92,762      Republican Eric Carlson 12.1% 13,113      American Independent Gordon Michael Mego 2.4% 2,610 Total Votes 108,485 1994 On November 8, 1994, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Nate Truman (R) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 1994 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 78.1% 65,688      Republican Nate Truman 21.9% 18,390      N/A Write-in 0% 3 Total Votes 84,081 1992 On November 3, 1992, Maxine Waters won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Nate Truman (R), Alice Mae Miles (P&F) and Carin Rogers (L) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 35 General Election, 1992 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters incumbent 82.5% 102,941      Republican Nate Truman 14% 17,417      Peace and Freedom Alice Mae Miles 2.2% 2,797      Libertarian Carin Rogers 1.3% 1,618      N/A Write-in 0% 3 Total Votes 124,776 1990 On November 6, 1990, Maxine Waters won election to the United States House. She defeated Bill DeWitt (R) and Waheed Boctor (L) in the general election. U.S. House, California District 29 General Election, 1990 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Maxine Waters 79.4% 51,350      Republican Bill DeWitt 18.6% 12,054      Libertarian Waheed Boctor 2% 1,268 Total Votes 64,672

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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2022

Maxine Waters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Maxine Waters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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 Maxine Waters

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Barbara Lee  source  (D)	U.S. Senate California (2024)	Primary	–
Andy Levin  source  (D)	U.S. House Michigan District 11 (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
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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Maxine Waters campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions
2024	U.S. House California District 43	On the Ballot primary	$318,436
2022	U.S. House California District 43	Won general	$1,220,339
2020	U.S. House California District 43	Won general	$1,876,832
2018	U.S. House California District 43	Won general	$1,600,230
2016	U.S. House, California District 43	Won general	$939,363
2014	U.S. House (California, District 43)	Won general	$1,301,923
2012	U.S. House California District 43	Won general	$729,887
2010	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$694,021
2008	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$781,102
2006	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$793,431
2004	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$390,923
2002	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$240,320
2000	U.S. House California District 35	Won general	$251,256
Grand total raised			$11,138,063
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 43 2018 election - Campaign Contributions
Top industry contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign in 2018
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate	$348,300.00
Labor	$72,000.00
General Business	$58,850.00
Lawyers & Lobbyists	$53,050.00
Transportation	$34,500.00
Total Raised in 2018	$0.00
Total Spent	$1,389,065.63
Source: Follow the Money

2020

U.S. House California District 43 2020 election - Campaign Contributions
Top individual contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign in 2020
Unitemized	$50,303.00
JOHNSON, LORNA	$16,200.00
ALLEN, BYRON	$14,000.00
BECKER, MARC	$11,200.00
BLACK, DEBRA	$11,200.00
LYNCH, LORETTA	$11,200.00
KAMERATH, ERIC M	$11,000.00
Charles Schwab Corp	$10,000.00
Service Employees International Union	$10,000.00
USAA	$10,000.00
Total Raised in 2020	$1,468,568.19
Total Spent	$1,949,929.14
Source: Follow the Money

2018

U.S. House California District 43 2018 election - Campaign Contributions
Top individual contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign in 2018
DANIELS, CLARENCE	$7,400.00
WILLIAMS, MICHAEL	$6,000.00
JENKINS, JEFFREY S	$5,400.00
HOBSON, MELLODY L	$5,400.00
BERNHARD JR, JAMES M	$5,400.00
Total Raised in 2018	$0.00
Total Spent	$1,389,065.63
Source: Follow the Money

2016

Waters won re-election to the U.S. House in 2016. During that election cycle, Waters' campaign committee raised a total of $939,363 and spent $966,552. This is less than the average $1.46 million spent by U.S. House winners in 2016.

Cost per vote

Waters spent $5.79 per general election vote received in 2016.

U.S. House, California District 43, 2016 - Maxine Waters Campaign Contributions

Total Raised	$939,363
Total Spent	$966,552
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$2,846
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$3,196
Top contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign committee
Democratic State Central Cmte of Ca	$35,000
Californians for Lower Drug Prices	$20,000
Coalition for Student Success	$20,000
For Adult Industry Responsibility Commit	$20,000
AFLAC Inc	$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Insurance	$107,250
Real Estate	$65,501
Accountants	$41,000
Democratic/Liberal	$37,086
Securities & Investment	$33,500
Source: Open Secrets

2014

Waters won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. During that election cycle, Waters' campaign committee raised a total of $1,301,923 and spent $1,062,921. This is less than the average $1.45 million spent by House winners in 2014.

Cost per vote

Waters spent $15.25 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. House, California District 43, 2014 - Maxine Waters Campaign Contributions

Total Raised	$1,301,923
Total Spent	$1,062,921
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$11,173
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$11,819
Top contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign committee
Votesane PAC	$41,000
American Express	$11,000
UBS AG	$11,000
Avenue Ventures	$10,400
L&L Energy	$10,400
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Insurance	$114,000
Securities & Investment	$89,500
Real Estate	$78,740
Commercial Banks	$57,650
Lawyers/Law Firms	$42,400
Source: Open Secrets

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

Below are Waters' FEC reports.

Maxine Waters (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$46,683.21	$100,483.27	$(74,599.62)	$72,566.86
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$72,566.86	$127,149.33	$(90,062.88)	$109,653.31
October Quarterly	October 18, 2013	$109,653.31	$153,828.36	$(111,968.95)	$151,512.72
Year-End	January 15, 2014	$151,512	$190,644	$(80,801)	$261,355
April Quarterly	April 14, 2014	$261,355	$130,901	$(28,307)	$363,948
Pre-Primary	May 22, 2014	$363,948	$48,750	$(99,646)	$313,052
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$313,052	$166,690	$(56,979)	$422,963
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$422,963	$179,890	$(197,720)	$405,133
			Running totals
			$1,098,335.96	$(740,084.45)

2012

Waters won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Waters' campaign committee raised a total of $729,887 and spent $717,251. This is less than the average $1.5 million spent by House winners in 2012.

Cost per vote

Waters spent $5.01 per vote received in 2012.

U.S. House, California District 43, 2012 - Maxine Waters Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$729,887
Total Spent	$717,251
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$4,204
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$3,220
Top contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign committee
Marvin Engineering	$15,000
Comcast Corp	$12,500
American Assn for Justice	$10,000
Certus Bank	$10,000
Credit Union National Assn	$10,000
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Real Estate	$51,750
TV/Movies/Music	$44,320
Lobbyists	$34,074
Securities & Investment	$28,250
Public Sector Unions	$23,500

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

2010

Waters won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Waters' campaign committee raised a total of $694,021 and spent $718,505.

Her top five contributors between 2009-2010 were:

U.S. House, California District 35, 2010 - Maxine Waters Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$694,021
Total Spent	$718,505
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$17,340
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$20,370
Top contributors to Maxine Waters's campaign committee
National Assn of Realtors	$11,000
American Assn for Justice	$10,000
American Federation of Teachers	$7,500
National Assn of Letter Carriers	$7,000
United Auto Workers	$5,500
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$26,526
Real Estate	$23,294
Health Professionals	$21,100
Industrial Unions	$20,500
Public Sector Unions	$19,000

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Waters' 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, Waters' net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $-3,512,984 and $5,440,998. That averages to $964,007, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Waters ranked as the 210th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Waters' calculated net worth decreased by an average of 8 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Maxine Waters Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$2,669,090
2012	$964,007
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	−64%
Average annual growth:	−8%
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). In the 113th Congress, Waters is the ranking Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services. Waters received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Real Estate industry.

From 1989-2014, 21.38 percent of Waters' career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Maxine Waters Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$6,341,866
Total Spent	$5,958,692
Ranking member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Real Estate	$379,719
Lawyers/Law Firms	$308,899
Industrial Unions	$264,000
Public Sector Unions	$240,150
Securities & Investment	$163,250
% total in top industry	5.99%
% total in top two industries	10.86%
% total in top five industries	21.38%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

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

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Waters was a far-left Democrat as of July 2014. In June 2013, Waters was rated as a "rank-and-file Democrat."

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.

Waters most often votes with:

• Mark Pocan
• Chris Gibson

Waters least often votes with:

• Jim Matheson
• Randy Weber

Lifetime voting record

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

According to the website GovTrack, Waters missed 1,225 of 16,058 roll call votes from January 1991 to September 2015. This amounted to 7.6 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. Waters paid her congressional staff a total of $964,115 in 2011. She ranked 56th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic representative staff salaries and ranked 221st 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

Waters ranked 53rd in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Waters ranked 50th in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Waters ranked 53rd 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

Waters voted with the Democratic Party 93.1 percent of the time, which ranked 106th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.

2013

Waters voted with the Democratic Party 95.7 percent of the time, which ranked 90th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Waters and her husband, Sidney, have two children.

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Officeholder

U.S. House California District 43

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	U.S. House California District 43 2013-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	U.S. House California District 35 1993-2013	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	U.S. House California District 29 1991-1993	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	California State Assembly 1977-1991	Succeeded by -

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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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