U.S. House · California's 8th District
Rudy Recile
Retired U.S. Army Major; small business ownerR
- Race
- U.S. House · California's 8th District
- Result
- John Garamendi, projected winner
- Opponent
- John Garamendi (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did2 statements · 0 votes
Green power only works when the sun is shining or wind is blowing.
Faster transition away from fossil fuels
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 8
2026-11-03
| John Garamendi D | incumbent |
| Rudy Recile R | challenger |
Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary
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.
Green power only works when the sun is shining or wind is blowing.
Campaign issues page criticizes power plant shutdowns by those who dislike carbon fuels, calls wind and solar unreliable, and favors more oil exploration and nuclear energy.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Money should follow the child not the child following the money. Parents should have a choice where their children are taught.
Campaign issues page says parents should have a choice where their children are taught and that money should follow the child.[6]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Rudy Recile, a Republican retired U.S. Army major with more than 26 years of service, lost the November 3, 2026 election for the U.S. House seat in California's 8th District to John Garamendi. He later worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and runs a small web business. He previously ran for the seat in 2022 and 2024.[1][2][3][4]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Recile was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Daily Republic reported in 2022 that he is a U.S. citizen of Filipino heritage and the son of a single immigrant mother who brought her family from the Philippines.[2][3] He earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1995 and, per Ballotpedia, a graduate degree from National Graduate School in 2005.[2] He served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 2014, with assignments in Illinois, South Korea and Washington, D.C., including time at the Pentagon, and retired as a major; his final duty station was in Fairfield, California.[1][2][3] The Daily Republic reported he worked as a logistician and project manager, and as a contract officer representative for the Army.[3]
After retiring in 2014 Recile settled in California, worked as a USDA data manager and instructor in its Plant Protection and Quarantine division, and owns a web development business; his Ballotpedia candidate statement says his family has lived in Solano County for 18 years.[1][2][3] He has been affiliated with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2333 (Fairfield-Suisun), the National Rifle Association, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, and the Solano and Yolo County Republican central committees.[2][3] He ran for this seat in 2022 and 2024 and lost to Garamendi both times; in the June 2026 primary he finished second with 27.8%.[2] His campaign website links to a podcast, "Boot's on the Ground."[1] He received 27.3% of the vote to John Garamendi's 72.7%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[4]
In their own words
Priorities
- Lists platform issues including energy independence, support for the Bill of Rights, government spending accountability, public safety, support for veterans, California water issues, and education.[7]
- Education: returning to basics of reading, writing and math, and school choice.[6]
- Energy: more oil exploration, lower refinery fees and regulations, and nuclear power.[5]
Campaign money$8,576 raised · 100% 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 $8,551
- Own money & loans $25
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/rudy-recile
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Major (Ret) Rudy Recile For U.S. Congress · Rudy Recile for Congress campaign website · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 2.Rudy Recile · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 3.Retired Army Major, Vacaville resident running for Congress · Daily Republic · 2026-10-21 News report
- 4.U.S. House · California's 8th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 5.Energy Independence · Rudy Recile for U.S. Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 6.Education and School Choice – Rudy Recile for U.S. Congress · Rudy Recile campaign website Candidate's own words
- 7.Rudy Recile · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference