United States Representative, 36th District in Congressional District 36, California

2026 Primary Election

• Fattaneh Jafarzadeh — Candidate in null, California

  There is currently no publicly available biographical information for Fattaneh Jafarzadeh in the context of a congressional campaign.

• Houston Brignano — U.S. Marine Veteran in Lomita, California

  Houston Brignano is a South Bay native and a U.S. Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He is running for the U.S. House to represent California's 36th Congressional District.

• Frederick Reardon — Candidate in Redondo Beach, California

  Information regarding a candidate named Frederick Reardon for the 2026 California's 36th Congressional District election could not be verified in publicly available sources. Official candidate lists and media coverage do not mention this individual for this race.

• Claire Anderson — Business Owner in Los Angeles, California

  Claire Ragge Anderson was born in Freeport, NY, and resides in Los Angeles. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the USC School of Cinema/Television Production in 1995. After graduating, she worked at Walt Disney Studios in the Creative Development Department. In 1998, she became the owner of The GasLite in Santa Monica, a business she still operates. A former Democrat, Anderson became disillusioned with party politics and is now running as a No Party Preference candidate. She has a history of community involvement, including hosting town hall meetings and sponsoring the Santa Monica Police Department's softball team.

• Marianne Shamma — Candidate in Santa Monica, California

  There is limited public information available regarding Marianne Shamma's biography and career history in the context of this political campaign.

• Melissa Toomim — Investigative Journalist in Santa Monica, California

  Melissa Toomim is an investigative journalist with experience reporting on Afghanistan and Pakistan. She holds a Master of Arts degree in International Policy Management with a focus on Nonproliferation and Terrorism. Toomim has also worked in the entertainment industry as a writer-producer-actress and serves as a senior advisor with Operation Freedom Birds, a humanitarian relief organization. She previously ran for this congressional seat in 2024, losing in the general election to the incumbent, Ted Lieu.

• Ted W. Lieu — United States Representative, California's 36th Congressional District in Torrance, California

  Ted W. Lieu, born in Taipei, Taiwan, immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of three. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Lieu earned Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Stanford University in 1991 and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 1994. He served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1995 to 1999 and retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2021 with the rank of Colonel. His political career began on the Torrance City Council in 2002. He was later elected to the California State Assembly (2005-2010) and the California State Senate (2011-2014). In 2014, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus.

• Rustin Knudtson — Business Executive in Venice, California

  Rustin Knudtson has a background as a business executive. He has filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC for the 2026 election for the U.S. House to represent California's 36th Congressional District.