Reelect Congressional Representative Salud Carbajal to keep CA-24 moving toward progress.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.

The District

California's 24th Congressional District includes parts of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. Democrats typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 27% are Republican and 44% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 25% Latino, 6% Asian, and 2% Black. After the 2021 redistricting process, CD-24 is 1% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that CD-24 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 24 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 13 points.

The Race

There are four candidates running for this seat, including Democrat Incumbent Representative Salud Carbajal and Republican Brad Allen. Carbajal’s campaign has raised $1,564,413 and is not funded by police money. He has accepted thousands of dollars from fossil fuel corporations, car companies, and airlines. He has also accepted thousands of dollars from corporate PACs and the real estate industry. Brad Allen’s campaign has not committed to any campaign pledges.

The Recommendation

Rep. Carbajal, a former member of the Marine Corps Reserves and formerly on the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors, is from Arizona, and settled in Santa Barbara as a teen, where he has remained. According to campaign materials, Rep. Carbajal is running for reelection to continue fighting for opportunities and security for middle-class families, as well as to address the specific needs of CD-24. Rep. Carbajal won his 2020 reelection against a Republican challenger by 17 points.

Rep. Carbajal’s priorities for CD-24 this year have included expanded funding options for infrastructure projects and public transit development; removing firearms from dangerous individuals; and increased support for veterans, servicemembers, and their families, all of which have been referred to committee. He has sponsored 23 bills about infrastructure, veterans and servicemembers, gun control, and the environment. He currently sits on the House committees on Armed Services (ranks 11th), Agriculture (ranks 17th), and Transportation (ranks 20th). This year, Rep. Carbajal has voted 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi and 94% of the time with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Carbajal differed from Rep. Ocasio-Cortez when he voted in favor of additional defense funding, in favor of the USMCA Agreement, and in favor of initial COVID-19 relief funding, which Ocasio-Cortez said benefitted corporate interests over individuals.

Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Carbajal served in the Marine Corps Reserve and then was elected to the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors. He was born in a small mining town in Arizona, and moved to Mexico as a child. He and his family then moved to Oxnard, CA, so that his father could work in the fields, before Carbajal attended UC Santa Barbara. He is a longtime supporter of environmental preservation and other environmental causes, as well as youth and senior services. As a Santa Barbara supervisor, Rep. Carbajal promoted solar energy for homeowners and jobs in the green-energy industry. As a congressmember, he has focused on infrastructure solutions to the climate crisis by outfitting his district against natural disasters, as well as trying to develop the district into a renewable energy hub. In Congress, he has also supported higher funding for public universities, financial aid, and early childhood education.

Rep. Carbajal is not a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, although he has the endorsement of many progressive groups, including California Environmental Voters, Equality California, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Based on our analysis, Rep. Carbajal’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a progressive champion for the constituents of CD-24 and will govern effectively in the best interest of this diverse district. Close Window