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U.S. House · California's 52nd District

South San Diego County, including Chula Vista and the U.S.-Mexico border region.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED

Juan Vargas, projected winner

CandidateVotesShare
Juan Vargas106,56169.7%
Jeff Belle46,26630.3%

About 69% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗

Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research

  • The district's boundaries changed as a result of California Proposition 50, a mid-decade congressional redistricting measure voters approved on November 4, 2025.[1]
  • Incumbent Juan Vargas and Jeff Belle advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary, defeating Deborah Calhoun Rhodes and write-in candidate Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla. Vargas won 56.5% of the primary vote (71,608 votes) and Belle won 33.2% (42,090 votes).[1]

On the November 3 ballot · 2 candidates

Juan VargasDINCUMBENTPROJECTED WINNERU.S. Representative, CA-52 (since 2013)Full profile →Jeff BelleRFull profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[36][37][38]

    Voted yes on Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755, 2021-09-24). Voted yes on Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296, 2022-07-15). Voted no on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36, 2017-10-03), which would have banned most abortions after 20 weeks.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Stricter gun laws

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[31][32][33][34]

    Voted yes on Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8, 2019-02-27), which would have required background checks on most private gun sales. Voted yes on Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808, 2022-07-29), which would have banned the sale of many semiautomatic assault weapons. Voted yes on Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938, 2022-06-24), which expanded background checks for buyers under 21 and funded state red-flag programs. Voted no on Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38, 2017-12-06), which would have required states to honor other states' concealed-carry permits.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Expand immigration enforcement and deportations

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

    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. Voted no on Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2, 2023-05-11). Voted yes on American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6, 2019-06-04; 2021-03-18).

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Loosen zoning rules to build more housing

  • Juan Vargas
    —
  • Jeff Belle
    Supports[3]

    Says he supports building more housing and streamlining local permitting and regulation to increase housing supply and lower costs.

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[16][17][18][27][26]

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03; 2017-12-20), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent. Voted yes on Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376, 2022-08-12), which added a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a stock-buyback excise tax.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Expand public health coverage

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[16][17][18][23][24]

    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), which extended enhanced ACA premium subsidies. Voted no on American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628, 2017-05-04), which would have capped federal Medicaid funding and ended enhanced funding for the Medicaid expansion.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Faster transition away from fossil fuels

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[16][17][18][25][26]

    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. Voted yes on Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376, 2021-11-19; 2022-08-12), which would have funded clean-energy tax credits.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Raise the minimum wage

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[35]

    Voted yes on Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582, 2019-07-18).

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Broad tariffs on imported goods

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[30]

    Voted yes on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Universal, publicly funded child care

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[25]

    Voted yes on Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376, 2021-11-19), which would have funded universal pre-K and child-care subsidies.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[22]

    Voted no on SAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad

  • Juan Vargas
    Recorded votes[28][29]

    Voted yes on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization. Voted yes on War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities (H. Con. Res. 86, 2026-06-03), which directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.

  • Jeff Belle
    —

Research notes & limits

Federal key floor votes and FEC finance totals are added separately by script for sitting members of Congress. Biography gap: Jeff Belle's survey and Ballotpedia page give limited biographical detail (no birthplace, employers, or prior offices found in non-aggregator sources); Vargas's failed congressional runs in 1992, 1996 and 2006 appear only in Wikipedia and are omitted.

Sources · 41

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

  1. 1.California's 52nd Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Juan Vargas · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  3. 3.Jeff Belle - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Gun Violence Prevention · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas · 2026-09-25 Official record
  5. 5.Immigration Reform and Border · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas · 2026-09-25 Official record
  6. 6.Improving Housing Affordability · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas · 2026-09-25 Official record
  7. 7.Protecting Rights and Freedoms · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas · 2026-09-25 Official record
  8. 8.Combating Climate Change · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas · 2026-09-25 Official record
  9. 9.H.R. 3069 - Medicare for All Act (119th Congress) · Congress.gov Official record
  10. 10.H.R. 2743 - Raise the Wage Act of 2025 (119th Congress) · Congress.gov Official record
  11. 11.H.Con.Res. 68 - To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress (119th Congress) · Congress.gov Official record
  12. 12.About Juan · Office of Rep. Juan Vargas Official record
  13. 13.Juan Vargas · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  14. 14.California U.S. House District 52 election results 2026 · NBC News News report
  15. 15.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  16. 16.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  17. 17.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  18. 18.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  19. 19.Roll call: Secure the Border Act of 2023 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2023-05-11 Official record
  20. 20.Roll call: American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-06-04 Official record
  21. 21.Roll call: American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-03-18 Official record
  22. 22.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
  23. 23.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  24. 24.Roll call: American Health Care Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-05-04 Official record
  25. 25.Roll call: Build Back Better Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-11-19 Official record
  26. 26.Roll call: Inflation Reduction Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-08-12 Official record
  27. 27.Roll call: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-12-20 Official record
  28. 28.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
  29. 29.Roll call: War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-06-03 Official record
  30. 30.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
  31. 31.Roll call: Bipartisan Background Checks Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-02-27 Official record
  32. 32.Roll call: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-07-29 Official record
  33. 33.Roll call: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-06-24 Official record
  34. 34.Roll call: Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-12-06 Official record
  35. 35.Roll call: Raise the Wage Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2019-07-18 Official record
  36. 36.Roll call: Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-09-24 Official record
  37. 37.Roll call: Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-07-15 Official record
  38. 38.Roll call: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2017-10-03 Official record
  39. 39.Jeff Belle · Ballotpedia Reference
  40. 40.Jeff Belle - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  41. 41.U.S. House · California's 52nd District results 2026 · NBC News News report