Political ads · 2026 · CA

California House District 36 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Ted Lieu won · 72.6% to 27.4%, with an estimated 91% of the vote counted · Called by AP on Nov 3

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Houston Brignano (Republican) and Ted Lieu (Democrat) are the nominees for California's 36th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. Ted Lieu is the incumbent. By their latest FEC reports, Houston Brignano's campaign had raised $7,000 (through October 14, 2026) and Ted Lieu's campaign $2.2 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $106,000 for Ted Lieu and $0 against.

Houston Brignano (REP), Ted Lieu (DEM, incumbent). 4 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.

Houston Brignano (REP)

Raised: $7,020 through 2026-10-14 individuals $7,020 · PACs $0 · cash on hand $1,219
Outside spending: none reported

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

All filings at the FEC ↗

Ted Lieu (DEM, incumbent)

Raised: $2.2M through 2026-10-14 individuals $1.1M · PACs $735K · from the candidate's other committees $337K · cash on hand $1.2M
Outside spending: $106K supporting Lieu · latest reported 2026-05-20
Largest outside spenders: PROTECT PROGRESS — $106K supporting Lieu 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) SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTION — $10 supporting Lieu

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

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

ACADEMY OF RAIL LABOR ATTORNEYS PAC $2,500
ACCENTURE INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
AFGE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
AFLAC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AFLAC PAC) $4,000
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000
AIRPORT COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL - NORTH AMERICA PAC $1,000
ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY PAC $11K
AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND (AMAZON PAC) $10K
AMENTUM HOLDINGS, INC. PAC (AMENTUM PAC) $1,000
AMERICA'S CREDIT UNIONS PAC OF CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, INC. $7,500
AMERICAN AIRLINES PAC $2,500
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AAJ PAC) $5,000
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,000
AMERICAN CAR RENTAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,000
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY PAC (HEARTPAC) $1,000
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY ASSOCIATION PAC $3,000
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC PAC) $5,000
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LIFE INSURERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,000
AMERICAN DENTAL PAC $2,000
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AXPPAC) $3,500
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E $10K
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION $10K
AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION PAC $6,000
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AMPAC) $1,500
AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION PAC (PT-PAC) $3,500
AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL ACTION $2,000
AMERICAN SENIORS HOUSING ASSOCIATION (SENIORS HOUSING PAC) $4,000
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ASA PAC) $3,000
AMERICAN SUGAR CANE LEAGUE PAC $3,000
AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,000
AMGEN INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION PAC $2,000
AT&T INC. EMPLOYEE FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AT&T EMPLOYEE FEDERAL PAC) $5,000
BAKER & HOSTETLER POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION FEDERAL PAC $10K
BARNES & THORNBURG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ENERGY PAC $2,500
BHFS-E, PC PAC (BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE) $1,000
BLACKROCK FUNDS SERVICES GROUP, LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BLACKROCK PAC) $5,000
BLUE SHIELD OF CALIFORNIA PAC $2,500
BMO FINANCIAL CORP GOOD GOVERNANCE FUND: FEDERAL (BMO PAC) $1,500
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON INC. PAC (BOOZ ALLEN PAC) $1,500
CARPENTERS LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS $5,000
CENTENE CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CENTENE PAC) $1,000
CHAOS INDUSTRIES INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CHAOS PAC) $2,500
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (COGNIZANT PAC) $5,000
COINBASE, INC. INNOVATION PAC (COINBASE INNOVATION PAC) $1,000
COMCAST CORPORATION & NBC UNIVERSAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE - FEDERAL $5,000
CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION PAC $1,500
CUMMINS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CIPAC) $1,000
CVS HEALTH PAC $2,500
D.R.I.V.E. - DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, INDEPENDENT VOTER EDUCATION (THE PAC OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS) $5,000
DEFEND THE VOTE $2,500
DELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $4,000
DELOITTE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,500
DELTA AIR LINES PAC $2,500
DEMOCRACY SUMMER LEADERSHIP PAC $5,000
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $779
DEMOCRATS WIN FUND $2,000
DOW INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (DOWPAC) $1,000
EDISON INTERNATIONAL PAC $10K
ELEVANCE HEALTH, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ELEVANCE HEALTH PAC) $2,500
EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC (ENGPAC) $10K
EMPLOYEES OF RTX CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
ERICSSON INC. U.S. EMPLOYEES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ERICSSON PAC) $1,000
ERNST & YOUNG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
FACEBOOK, INC. PAC $3,000
FGS GLOBAL (US) LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
FLORIDA SUGAR CANE LEAGUE PAC $1,000
FOX CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (FOX PAC) $2,500
FRIENDS OF ARMOND BUDISH $250
GE VERNOVA, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (GM PAC) $3,500
GIFFORDS PAC $1,000
GILEAD SCIENCES INC HEALTHCARE POLICY PAC $2,500
GOOGLE LLC NETPAC $10K
GRAND CANYON STATE CAUCUS $1,000
GREENBERG TRAURIG, P.A. PAC $2,500
GRIDIRON - PAC $2,500
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY PAC $2,500
HOGAN LOVELLS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,500
HOLLAND & KNIGHT COMMITTEE FOR EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT $1,000
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
IBEW PAC VOLUNTARY FUND $3,500
IGT GLOBAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION (IGT) PAC $5,000
INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY BANKERS OF AMERICA POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ICBA PAC) $1,500
INTEL PAC $1,000
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PAC $5,000
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHEET METAL, AIR, RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION WORKERS POLITICAL ACTION LEAGUE $7,500
INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL NO. 12 VOLUNTARY LEGISLATIVE FUND $5,000
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS PAC $5,000
K2 SPACE CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
KINECTA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION FEDERAL PAC $3,000
KPMG PARTNERS/PRINCIPALS AND EMPLOYEES PAC $5,000
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. PAC $2,500
LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA (LIUNA) PAC $5,000
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND $1,000
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION EMPLOYEES' POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,000
MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS $5,000
MANTARI INDUSTRIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (MANTARI PAC) $2,500
MCKINSEY & COMPANY, INC. UNITED STATES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (MCKINSEY PAC) $5,000
MICHIGAN SUGAR COMPANY GROWERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
MICROSOFT CORPORATION STAKEHOLDERS VOLUNTARY PAC - MSVPAC $8,500
MINN-DAK FARMERS COOPERATIVE SUGAR PAC (MDSPAC) $1,000
MOLINA HEALTHCARE, INC PAC $1,000
MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,500
MUSIC SPEAKS: THE SOUNDEXCHANGE, INC. LEGISLATIVE FUND $500
NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COM (NARFE-PAC) $2,500
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION PAC $1,500
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTER POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC) $5,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS PAC (BUILD PAC) $3,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS OF U.S.A. POLITICAL FUND (LETTER CARRIER POLITICAL FUND) $2,500
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
NATIONAL MULTIFAMILY HOUSING COUNCIL PAC (NMHC PAC) $5,000
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AMERICA'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES PAC $3,500
NATIONAL RURAL LETTER CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NRLCA-PAC) $2,000
NCTA- THE INTERNET & TELEVISION ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCTAPAC) $2,500
NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION $2,000
NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH, LLP FEDERAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE $3,000
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
NOVO NORDISK, INC. PAC $1,500
PFIZER INC. PAC $1,000
PG&E CORPORATION EMPLOYEES ENERGYPAC $1,000
PHARMAVITE LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PHARMAVITE PAC) $1,000
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEEES $1,000
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITEE $5,000
RELX INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
SEMPRA ENERGY EMPLOYEES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE - FEDERAL $5,000
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION (SEIU COPE) $2,500
SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ANGIOGRAPHY AND INTERVENTIONS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT, INC. PAC $2,500
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BEET SUGAR COOPERATIVE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,000
SUN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT COALITION PAC $2,500
SYNOPSYS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SYNOPSYS PAC) $1,000
T-MOBILE US, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (T-PAC) $4,500
TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TD BANK PAC) $2,500
THE AI POLICY NETWORK INC. AIPN PAC INC. $950
THE ALBERTSONS COMPANIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ACI PAC) $1,500
THE BOEING COMPANY PAC $4,500
THE CIGNA GROUP EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
THE COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
THE DOCTORS COMPANY FEDERAL PAC (DOCPAC) $5,000
THE HOME DEPOT INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TOYOTA/ LEXUS PAC) $4,000
TRANSDIGM GROUP INC. EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEE $2,000
TWDC ENTERPRISES 18 CORP. EMPLOYEES PAC AKA 'THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY EMPLOYEES PAC' OR 'DISNEY PAC' $1,500
UAW - V - CAP (UAW VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM) 'INT'L UNION UNITED AUTOMOBILE AEROSPACE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA UAW $1,000
UBS AMERICAS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (UBS PAC) $5,000
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, INC. PAC (UPSPAC) $5,000
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED PAC (UNITEDHEALTH GROUP PAC) $2,500
VARDA SPACE INDUSTRIES INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (VARDA PAC) $2,500
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (VERIZON PAC) $2,000
VISA, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
VOTEVETS $10K
WALMART INC. PAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT $1,000
WELLS FARGO & CO. EMPLOYEES GOOD GOVERNMENT FEDERAL FUND II $5,000
WEST LOS ANGELES HEALTH PAC- FEDERAL $1,000
WINE & SPIRITS WHOLESALERS OF AMERICA, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000

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.
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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.