Political ads · 2026 · CA

California House District 18 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Zoe Lofgren won · 72.1% to 27.9%, with an estimated 67% of the vote counted · Called by AP on Nov 3

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Shane Lewis (Republican) and Zoe Lofgren (Democrat) are the nominees for California's 18th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. Zoe Lofgren is the incumbent. By their latest FEC reports, Shane Lewis's campaign had raised $115,000 (through October 14, 2026) and Zoe Lofgren's campaign $2.0 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $110,000 for Zoe Lofgren and $0 against.

Shane Lewis (REP), Zoe Lofgren (DEM, incumbent). 2 others filed with the FEC; any ads they ran are below. 0 ads analyzed, 0 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing.

Also on every California ballot: 14 statewide ballot measures → The ballot wording and the official arguments, read for rhetorical techniques.

How to vote in California

From California's official election office. Each line links to the official page it came from.

Registration	Register by Mon, Oct 19 (Conditional (same-day) registration Oct 20 - Nov 3). Same-day registration: Conditional registration, provisional ballot, Oct 20 - Nov 3 (passed)Source: sos.ca.gov ↗Source: sos.ca.gov ↗
Early voting in person	Mon, Oct 5 to (Varies by county; VCA vote centers open Oct 24)Source: sos.ca.gov ↗
By mail	Anyone can vote by mail; return it by Tue, Nov 3 (Postmarked by Nov 3 and received by Nov 10; drop-off by 8 p.m. Nov 3) (passed)Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov ↗Source: sos.ca.gov ↗
Election Day	Tue, Nov 3. Polls: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (passed)Source: sos.ca.gov ↗
ID at the polls	Generally no ID required; some first-time voters who registered by mail/online without ID may be askedSource: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov ↗

Check your registration and polling place ↗ California's official election site ↗

Checked October 8, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the official site before you go.

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Money in this race

From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.

Shane Lewis (REP)

Raised: $115K through 2026-10-14 individuals $46K · PACs $0 · candidate's own money, incl. loans $64K · cash on hand $4,417
Outside spending: none reported

Bundled through PACs: none reported · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01

All filings at the FEC ↗

Zoe Lofgren (DEM, incumbent)

Raised: $2.0M through 2026-10-14 individuals $1.2M · PACs $526K · party $613 · from the candidate's other committees $213K · cash on hand $602K
Outside spending: $110K supporting Lofgren · latest reported 2026-05-30
Largest outside spenders: PROTECT PROGRESS — $109K supporting Lofgren Largest donors: FAIRSHAKE $33.0M (>99%) (its largest donors: RIPPLE LABS INC. $48.0M, an organization; COINBASE $25.0M, an organization; COINBASE COMMERCE (EXCHANGE) $8.2M, an organization); RIPPLE LABS INC. $250K (1%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) SOUTH BAY AFL-CIO LABOR COUNCIL — $258 supporting Lofgren SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTION — $10 supporting Lofgren

Bundled through PACs: $2,500 through 2 PACs · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01 JSTREETPAC — $2,000 from 5 gifts Lobbyist/registrant PAC NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC) — $500 from 1 gift Lobbyist/registrant PAC

124 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election

AGSHF CIVIC ACTION COMMITTEE $750
ALASKA AIR GROUP INC. PAC $1,000
AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY PAC $1,000
AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION COPE $2,500
AMAZON CORPORATE LLC SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND (AMAZON PAC) $10K
AMENTUM HOLDINGS, INC. PAC $1,000
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE PAC $5,000
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE PAC $5,000
AMERICAN BAKERS ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR POLITICAL ACTION $10K
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY PAC $1,000
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AFL-CIO PEOPLE $10K
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COPE $2,500
AMERICAN HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION PAC $4,500
AMERICAN HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION PAC (HOTELPAC) $2,500
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS PAC $5,000
AMERICAN PISTACHIO GROWERS PAC $10K
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS PAC $2,000
AMERICAN SUGAR CANE LEAGUE PAC $3,000
APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. PAC $2,500
AT&T INC. EMPLOYEE FEDERAL PAC $2,000
BEST 4 AMERICA $1,000
BEST BUY EMPLOYEE POLITICAL FORUM $1,000
BLUE DIAMOND GROWERS PAC $7,500
BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA PAC $4,000
BNSF RAILPAC $2,000
CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE GROUP $1,000
CARPENTERS' LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE $5,000
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PAC $3,500
CISCO SYSTEMS E-PAC $10K
COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PAC $1,500
COMCAST CORPORATION & NBCUNIVERSAL PAC $2,500
COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS PAC $5,000
COX ENTERPRISES PAC INC. $2,500
CUMMINS INC. PAC $1,000
CVS HEALTH PAC $1,000
DELL TECHNOLOGIES PAC $5,000
DELOITTE FEDERAL PAC $10K
DEMOCRACY SUMMER LEADERSHIP PAC $4,500
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS PAC $7,500
DRIVE COMMITTEE $1,000
EBAY INC. - COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE INTERNET COM $1,000
EDISON INTERNATIONAL PAC $5,000
ENERGY MARKETERS OF AMERICA SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE PAC $2,000
EQUALITY PAC $5,000
EQUALITY PROJECT PAC $2,500
ERNST & YOUNG PAC $10K
FGS GLOBAL (US) LLC PAC $1,000
FIGHT FOR FAIR LINES PAC $1,000
FLORIDA FRUIT & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
FOOD MARKETPLACE INC. PAC (FOODPAC) $3,500
GOOGLE NETPAC $10K
GRIDIRON PAC $2,500
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY PAC $5,000
HNTB HOLDINGS LTD, PAC $1,000
HOLLAND & KNIGHT COMMITTEE FOR EFFECTIVE GOVT. $1,000
HUMANE WORLD ACTION FUND PAC $1,500
HY-VEE EMPLOYEES' PAC $1,000
IHEARTMEDIA, INC. PAC $2,000
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY COUNCIL PAC (ITI PAC) $1,500
INTEL CORP. PAC $3,000
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS PAC $2,500
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHEET METAL, AIR, RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION WORKERS POLITICAL ACTION LEAGUE $5,000
INTERNATIONAL FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION PAC (FRESHPAC) $1,000
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE $2,000
JSTREETPAC $200
K&L GATES LLP PAC $1,000
KEEP STARTUPS IN AMERICA $1,000
KPMG PARTNERS/PRINCIPALS AND EMPLOYEES PAC $2,500
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. PAC $2,500
LA BAMBA PAC $10K
LOCKHEED MARTIN EMPLOYEES' PAC $2,000
LOWE'S COMPANIES, INC. PAC $2,000
MACHINISTS NON-PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE $5,000
MAINSTREAM PAC $9,000
META PLATFORMS, INC. PAC $3,500
MICROSOFT CORPORATION STAKEHOLDERS VOLUNTARY PAC $2,000
MINN-DAK FARMERS COOPERATIVE SUGAR PAC $1,000
MORE PERFECT UNION PAC $3,000
NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES PAC $1,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS PAC $2,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES PAC (NACSPAC) $6,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS, INC. PAC $5,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS OF U.S.A. POLITICAL FUND $5,000
NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS $1,000
NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION PAC $3,500
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC $7,500
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION INC RETAIL PAC $2,000
NATIONAL RURAL LETTER CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
NATIONAL UNION OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS FEDERAL COPE $2,500
NATIONAL VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
NATSO PAC $2,500
NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION $4,000
NO VOTE LEFT BEHIND PAC $7,500
OUTDOOR AMUSEMENT BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, INC. PAC $7,500
PERATON CORP. PAC $4,000
PETE AGUILAR FOR CONGRESS $4,000
PG&E CORP. ENERGY PAC $2,000
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS PAC $10K
QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC. PAC $1,000
REALTORS PAC $5,000
RESISTANCE PAC $10K
RESOLUTE COURAGE PAC $5,000
RETAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS ASSOC. PAC $2,500
RIPPLE OF HOPE PAC $3,000
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC PAC $1,000
SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTL. CORP. $1,000
SCITECH PAC $2,500
SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION - SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NA-AGLIW $1,000
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BEET SUGAR COOPERATIVE PAC $2,000
SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOPERATIVE OF FLORIDA PAC $1,000
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE PAC $10K
THE BOEING COMPANY PAC $1,000
THE HOME DEPOT INC. PAC $7,500
THE INLAND EMPIRE STRIKES BACK PAC $2,500
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF FARMER COOPERATIVES PAC $2,500
U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION PAC $2,250
UNITED PILOTS PAC $2,500
UNITED STATES TELECOM ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
US APPLE ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PAC $3,500
WALMART INC. PAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT (WALPAC) $7,000

All filings at the FEC ↗

No campaign ads analyzed for this race yet.

What this page is

An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it comes from a national Senate group and ran mostly in CA; or it ran mostly in CA and names a candidate — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific rhetorical move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. Running a check and seeing its verdicts are part of Semblen Pro, because each check costs money to run; anyone can see which claims an ad makes. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.