Michael Masuda
DEngineer; former U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Officer
Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary
Michael Masuda is an engineer and former U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Officer who grew up in Amador County. He is the grandson of Japanese Americans who were forcibly interned during World War II and describes himself as a first-time candidate running to serve his home district.[3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
In their words — priorities
- Describes himself as an engineer rather than a politician, focused on effective solutions for the diverse valley, foothill, mountain, and desert communities of the district.[3]
Background
- Grew up in a town of about 200 people in Amador County; graduated from Amador High School and earned a graduate degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 2013.[3]
- Worked as an engineer designing tools for the U.S. military, and later at the U.S. Department of State using his science and engineering background on foreign policy and national security matters.[3]
- Grandson of Japanese Americans from the Bay Area who were forcibly relocated and interned during World War II, and of German and Polish American farmers from Wisconsin.[3]
Campaign money
Raised $362K · spent $272K · $89K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗