U.S. House · California's 20th Congressional District
Sandra Van Scotter
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · California's 20th Congressional District
- Result
- Vince Fong, projected winner
- Opponent
- Vince Fong (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did1 statement · 0 votes
Medicare For All is the answer to getting our Health Care System on track.
Expand public health coverage
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 20
2026-11-03
| Vince Fong R | incumbent |
| Sandra Van Scotter D | challenger |
Advanced from the June 2 top-two primary with 28.8% of the vote
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Medicare For All is the answer to getting our Health Care System on track.
Supports Medicare for All, describing commercial health insurance as treating premiums as a 'bottomless cup' of profit.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Sandra Van Scotter, a Democratic health care worker and, as local news describes her, a longtime advocate for disability rights and veterans' issues, lost the November 3, 2026 election for California's 20th District to Vince Fong. She finished second in the June 2026 primary.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
According to BallotReady, Van Scotter worked as a respiratory therapist at Sarah Bush Lincoln (2004-2011) and Northwestern Memorial Hospital (2011-2014), in cardiac testing at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital (2017-2021), and as a direct support professional. The Loop Newspaper in Tehachapi describes her as a longtime advocate for disability rights and veterans' issues.[2][3]
In her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, Van Scotter says her whole career has been advocating for people in places where they cannot speak for themselves. She names Medicare for All as a key message and lists streamlining veterans' and Social Security disability benefits as a policy passion.[1] She advanced from the June 2, 2026 primary with 28.8 percent of the vote, second to Vince Fong's 68.2 percent, and was endorsed by the Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club. The Loop reported in April that she had traveled more than 20,000 miles within the district.[1][3][6] Her campaign emphasized Medicare for All and streamlining disability benefits.[1] She received 38.1% of the vote to Vince Fong's 61.9%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Supports Medicare for All, citing S. 1560 (introduced April 2025) as a model for transitioning over four years from the current commercial-insurance system to a single-payer option.[5]
- Says she would prioritize collaborating with state, county, and local officials on agriculture, water, and housing-affordability issues affecting the district.[5]
- Says she is passionate about streamlining access to Veterans Disability Benefits, Social Security Disability Benefits, and Developmental Disability benefits.[5]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Expand public health coverage
“Unrestricted access to basic Health Care is a Human Right.”[5]
In her 2026 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey
Campaign money$17K raised · 42% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $7,179
- Own money & loans $9,907
Largest committee contributions
No direct contributions from PACs or other committees in the FEC’s bulk data.
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/sandra-van-scotter
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Sandra Van Scotter — Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 2.Sandra Van Scotter · BallotReady Reference
- 3.Sandra Van Scotter offers campaign update · The Loop Newspaper (Tehachapi) News report
- 4.U.S. House · California's 20th Congressional District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Sandra Van Scotter — Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 6.Sandra Van Scotter endorsed by Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club · The Loop Newspaper (Tehachapi) News report