U.S. House · California's 29th District

The north-central San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, including San Fernando, Van Nuys, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, and parts of Sun Valley and North Hollywood. District lines were redrawn for the 2026 election under California Proposition 50.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 17 claims re-checked against their sources · 4 corrected · 1 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Deduped identical source s5 (same URL as s1) and repointed the context claim that cited it to s1.
  • Dueñas' two priorities and three position quotes (Medicare for All, Green New Deal/100% clean energy, housing as fundamental right) were cited to her live campaign site (s4), but that exact platform text no longer appears there; verified the quotes are verbatim on Ballotpedia (s3), which archives the 2024 platform excerpt, and re-cited them to s3.
  • Removed source s4 (angelica4congress.com) since nothing cites it after the re-pointing, and updated researchNotes to accurately describe that the current live site no longer shows the quoted platform text.
  • All other facts checked (Rivas and Dueñas bios, committee assignments, primary/ballot slate) matched their cited sources exactly; no other changes needed.

On the ballot · 2 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUELuz Maria Rivas
D
Angélica María Dueñas
D
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsOpposes[8][9][10][11]votes—
Stronger rent regulation and tenant protections—Supports[3]
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsSupports[9][10][11]votes—
Expand public health coverageSupports[9][10][11][12]votesSupports[3]
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsSupports[9][10][11]votesSupports[3]
Broad tariffs on imported goodsOpposes[13]votes—

The candidates, in full

Luz Maria Rivas

DINCUMBENTU.S. Representative, CA-29 (since 2025); previously California State Assembly, 2018-2024

Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary

Luz Maria Rivas is the Democratic incumbent for California's 29th Congressional District, first elected to the U.S. House in 2024 after serving in the California State Assembly from 2018 to 2024. She is an electrical engineer and founder of the nonprofit DIY Girls.[2]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • YesWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • YesResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • NoConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • YesBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • YesWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • NoNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • NoContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • NoCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • NoGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • NoRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • NoSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • NoFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • NoLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServes on the House Committee on Natural Resources (Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee; Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee) and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee; Research and Technology Subcommittee) in the 119th Congress (2025-2026).[2]
  • billIntroduced the Methane Pollution Accountability Act, which would hold oil and gas companies accountable for pollutants released through venting, flaring, and leaking.[5]
  • billIntroduced the Healing and Equity for Enforcement-Affected Residents and Trauma (HEART) Act of 2026 to fund mental-health services for communities affected by ICE immigration enforcement actions.[7]

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[8][9][10][11]

    What they say: Conducted oversight visits at immigration detention facilities, called for the Dilley Immigration Processing Center to be shut down, and introduced legislation to fund mental-health services for communities affected by ICE actions.[4]

    “The Trump Administration must be held accountable for the trauma it is inflicting on immigrant families. Children should not be detained, and I am continuing to call for the Dilley Detention Facility to be shut down, immediately.”
  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[9][10][11]

    What they say: Introduced the Methane Pollution Accountability Act to hold oil and gas companies accountable for pollution and a resolution supporting the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program against elimination.[6]

    “The Trump Administration’s elimination of the GHGRP will leave environmental justice communities without the tools needed to address the harmful environmental, health, and economic impacts of climate change.”
  • SupportsExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[9][10][11][12]

  • SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[9][10][11]

  • OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[13]

In their words — priorities

  • Has conducted repeated oversight visits at immigration detention facilities in California and Texas and calls for the Dilley Immigration Processing Center to be shut down.[4]
  • Says she is working to protect environmental justice communities in the San Fernando Valley from pollution linked to oil and gas operations.[5]

Background

  • Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1974; graduated from San Fernando High School in 1991. Earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from MIT in 1995 and a master's degree in technology in education from Harvard University in 2003.[2]
  • Founded and served as executive director of DIY Girls, co-founded KitHub, worked as director of research and corporate partnerships at Iridescent, and worked as an electrical design engineer at Motorola.[2]
  • Served as a commissioner on the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, then served in the California State Assembly from 2018 to 2024 before her election to Congress.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $671K · spent $557K · $377K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Angélica María Dueñas

D

Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary as a fellow Democrat challenging the incumbent

Angélica María Dueñas is a Democratic candidate challenging incumbent Luz Maria Rivas for California's 29th Congressional District, running as a progressive on a platform that includes Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. She has run for this seat in prior cycles and was active in Bernie Sanders' and Jill Stein's presidential campaigns.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand public health coverage

    Advocates for Medicare for All and a single-payer health-care system.[3]

    “Advocating for Medicare for All, promoting a single-payer solution for reform to our current healthcare system.”
  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuels

    Calls for a Green New Deal and 100% clean energy by 2030.[3]

    “Determined to achieve 100% clean energy by 2030. Advocating for a Green New Deal, prioritizing jobs, justice, and a sustainable future for all.”
  • SupportsStronger rent regulation and tenant protections

    Says she combats gentrification and advocates for affordable housing as a fundamental right.[3]

    “Ensuring housing as a fundamental right, we combat gentrification, advocate for affordable homes, and strive to end homelessness through comprehensive programs and healthcare reform.”

In their words — priorities

  • Campaign platform describes a "People First approach to governance," citing a peaceful foreign policy, guaranteed healthcare, a federal jobs guarantee, affordable housing, education as a right, clean energy, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, and veteran care.[3]
  • Advocates for a Green New Deal, describing a goal of 100% clean energy by 2030.[3]

Background

  • Earned a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from California State University, Los Angeles, in 2007 and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Woodbury University in 2013.[3]
  • Worked as the Southern California campaign coordinator for Jill Stein's 2016 presidential campaign and as a human resources manager and specialist; served as president and vice president of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council.[3]
  • Served as a member of the Bernie Sanders delegation to the 2016 and 2020 Democratic National Conventions.[3]

Campaign money

Raised $37K · spent $34K · $3,349 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Research notes & limits

Luz Maria Rivas has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey; her official House issues subpages (economy, energy, health, education, veterans) are placeholders with no text, so positions and priorities here are drawn from her press releases instead. Her federal floor votes and FEC totals are added separately by script. Angélica María Dueñas has also not completed the 2026 survey; her platform quotes come from Ballotpedia's page, which excerpts her campaign website from her 2024 run. As of this check, her current live campaign website (same domain) no longer displays that platform text, so the quotes are cited to Ballotpedia (s3) rather than the live site.

Sources · 13

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.Luz Maria Rivas · Ballotpedia Reference
  3. 3.Angélica María Dueñas · Ballotpedia Reference
  4. 4.Congresswoman Luz Rivas Conducts Oversight at Dilley Family Detention Facility in Texas, Raises Alarm Over ICE Secrecy · Office of Rep. Luz Rivas · 2026-07-28 Candidate's own words
  5. 5.Congresswoman Luz Rivas Introduces the Methane Pollution Accountability Act · Office of Rep. Luz Rivas Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Congresswoman Luz Rivas Introduces Resolution Supporting Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program · Office of Rep. Luz Rivas Candidate's own words
  7. 7.Congresswoman Luz Rivas Introduces Bill to Support Communities Impacted by ICE Raids · Office of Rep. Luz Rivas Candidate's own words
  8. 8.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  9. 9.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  10. 10.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  11. 11.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  12. 12.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  13. 13.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record