Proposition 50 just redrew the political map in a big way, and Sacramento voters are now smack in the middle of a congressional race that looks nothing like it did a few years ago. California’s 4th Congressional District has been transformed so completely that nearly half its territory is brand new—stretching from the North Bay wine country down through Sacramento, Yolo, and into the foothills. The shift means one thing: the June 2 primary election is genuinely unpredictable.
The race features four candidates with starkly different visions. Mike Thompson, the 26-year incumbent Democrat backed by Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, is leaning hard on experience and continuity. He’s framing this as no time for on-the-job training in a divided Congress. Meanwhile, Eric Jones, a venture capitalist and healthcare entrepreneur with deep pockets and backing from Our Revolution and Indivisible Yolo, is making the case for new blood. He’s already outraised Thompson and dropped over $5 million of his own money into the campaign—a clear signal that he’s serious about disrupting the incumbency.
On the Republican side, it’s less unified. Raymond Riehle, a longtime business owner and Citrus Heights Water District board member, is pitching himself as the long-term planner, championing infrastructure projects like the Sites Reservoir and criticizing what he sees as short-term political thinking. Chuck Uribe Jr., an educator and Air Force veteran running with virtually no major endorsements, is positioning himself as the genuine outsider—someone frustrated with political dysfunction and genuinely concerned about rural and agricultural communities that often feel forgotten.
The issues cutting across all four campaigns reveal real fault lines. On Iran, Thompson and Jones oppose the ongoing war, with Jones particularly vocal about the staggering $2 billion daily cost and what that money could do if redirected. Riehle backs the Trump administration’s approach, while Uribe expresses concern about the strategy without fully endorsing the conflict. On immigration, there’s nuance across the board: Thompson and Jones both call for reform and stronger accountability measures, while Riehle and Uribe favor tougher enforcement—though Uribe softens his stance by acknowledging the system itself is broken.
Housing affordability and agriculture dominate the conversation too. Both Jones and Uribe oppose large corporate ownership of single-family homes, while Thompson emphasizes his work on water and farm policy. It’s a district that genuinely spans urban and rural interests, and the winner will need to thread a needle to represent them all.
The top two vote-getters advance to November, which means it’s entirely possible both finalists could come from the same party. That’s the new reality of California’s top-two primary system. For Sacramento voters new to this district, the June 2 primary is your chance to shape what representation looks like in this radically reshaped congressional map.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
