Ballots are inspected the day after California’s primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in City of Industry, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Democrat Eric Jones on Friday advanced to the November ballot in a Northern California congressional district, where he will face fellow Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson in the latest generational battle within the party.
Jones, a 35-year-old former venture capitalist, took the second slot in California’s top-two, nonpartisan June 2 primary for the state’s 4th Congressional District. Thompson was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after serving as a state lawmaker.
Having two Democrats on the ballot will ensure that the district, which includes the Napa-Sonoma wine country and stretches across a wide swath of Northern California north of the state capital, will remain in Democratic hands.
The race becomes the second generational challenge against a California U.S. House Democrat. Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, replaced her late husband in the House when he died in 2005. She is facing a challenge from 41-year-old Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang.
