California 3rd Congressional District
Akashic| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | +6.7% |
| 2012 | +3.1% |
| 2016 | +9.0% |
| 2020 | +14.0% |
| 2024 | +10.2% |
Federal officeholders only. State and local officeholders are planned for the next data pass.
U.S. House
Each result reflects the U.S. House district as it was drawn for that election; redistricting has redrawn these lines over time, so they can differ from the current 120th-Congress district shown on the map above.
| Year | District | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | R | 44.5%188,067 | 55.5%234,246 | 422,313 |
| 2022 | 3 | R | 46.4%156,761 | 53.6%181,438 | 338,199 |
| 2020 | 3 | D | 54.7%176,043 | 45.3%145,945 | 321,988 |
| 2018 | 3 | D | 58.1%134,875 | 41.9%97,376 | 232,251 |
| 2016 | 3 | D | 59.4%152,513 | 40.6%104,453 | 256,966 |
| 2014 | 3 | D | 52.7%79,224 | 47.3%71,036 | 150,260 |
| 2012 | 3 | D | 54.2%126,882 | 45.8%107,086 | 233,968 |
| 2010 | 3 | R | 43.2%113,128 | 50.1%131,169 | 261,938 |
| 2008 | 3 | R | 43.9%137,971 | 49.5%155,424 | 314,046 |
| 2006 | 3 | R | 37.8%86,318 | 59.5%135,709 | 228,169 |
| 2004 | 3 | R | 34.8%100,025 | 61.9%177,738 | 287,073 |
| 2002 | 3 | R | 34.4%67,136 | 62.5%121,732 | 194,918 |
| 2000 | 3 | R | 40.4%93,067 | 56.2%129,254 | 230,182 |
| 1998 | 3 | R | 45.0%86,471 | 52.4%100,621 | 192,006 |
| 1996 | 3 | D | 53.5%118,663 | 41.1%91,134 | 221,737 |
| 1994 | 3 | D | 49.8%97,093 | 46.1%89,964 | 195,157 |
| 1992 | 3 | D | 51.2%122,149 | 40.3%96,092 | 238,685 |
| 1990 | 3 | D | 60.3%132,143 | 34.8%76,148 | 219,088 |
| 1988 | 3 | D | 71.2%183,470 | 28.8%74,296 | 257,766 |
| 1986 | 3 | D | 75.9%158,709 | 24.1%50,265 | 208,974 |
| 1984 | 3 | D | 100.0%131,369 | 0.0%0 | 131,369 |
| 1982 | 3 | D | 89.6%194,680 | 0.0%0 | 217,196 |
| 1980 | 3 | D | 70.6%170,670 | 26.5%64,215 | 241,865 |
| 1978 | 3 | D | 53.4%105,537 | 46.6%91,966 | 197,503 |
| 1976 | 3 | D | 72.9%139,779 | 27.1%52,075 | 191,854 |
U.S. Senate
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 58.9%9,036,252 | 41.1%6,312,594 | 15,348,846 |
| 2022 | D | 61.1%6,621,621 | 38.9%4,222,029 | 10,843,650 |
| 2018 | D | 100.0%11,113,364 | 0.0%0 | 11,113,364 |
| 2016 | D | 100.0%12,244,170 | 0.0%0 | 12,244,170 |
| 2012 | D | 62.5%7,864,624 | 37.5%4,713,887 | 12,578,511 |
| 2010 | D | 52.2%5,218,441 | 42.2%4,217,366 | 10,000,093 |
| 2006 | D | 59.4%5,076,289 | 35.0%2,990,822 | 8,541,150 |
| 2004 | D | 57.7%6,955,728 | 37.8%4,555,922 | 12,053,242 |
| 2000 | D | 55.8%5,932,522 | 36.6%3,886,853 | 10,623,608 |
| 1998 | D | 53.1%4,410,056 | 43.0%3,575,078 | 8,311,905 |
| 1994 | D | 46.7%3,979,152 | 44.8%3,817,025 | 8,513,916 |
| 1992 | D | 47.9%5,173,467 | 43.0%4,644,182 | 10,799,436 |
| 1988 | R | 44.0%4,287,253 | 52.8%5,143,409 | 9,743,547 |
| 1986 | D | 49.3%3,646,672 | 47.9%3,541,804 | 7,398,462 |
| 1982 | R | 44.8%3,494,968 | 51.5%4,022,565 | 7,805,450 |
| 1980 | D | 56.5%4,704,098 | 37.1%3,091,671 | 8,324,012 |
| 1976 | R | 46.9%3,502,862 | 50.2%3,748,973 | 7,470,586 |
California's 3rd congressional district, as drawn for the 2026 elections, takes in Sacramento's eastern suburbs and the Sierra Nevada foothills, drawing from El Dorado, Sacramento, Nevada, and Placer counties. About 762,800 people live within its 2026 boundaries, with a median age of 40.2. Measured on those boundaries, the district has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 2012. The margin was D+3.1 in 2012, D+9.0 in 2016, D+14.0 in 2020, and D+10.2 in 2024.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 14.0 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 3.8 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 10.2 points.
A population of 762,765, a 61% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $96,983 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Congressional District 7 and Congressional District 50.
The congressional districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
California 3rd Congressional District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/0603/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.