California 21st Congressional District
Akashic| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | +15.4% |
| 2012 | +17.8% |
| 2016 | +21.8% |
| 2020 | +21.1% |
| 2024 | +6.0% |
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 | 21 | D | 52.6%102,798 | 47.4%92,733 | 195,531 |
| 2022 | 21 | D | 54.2%68,074 | 45.8%57,573 | 125,647 |
| 2020 | 21 | R | 49.6%84,406 | 50.4%85,928 | 170,334 |
| 2018 | 21 | D | 50.4%57,239 | 49.6%56,377 | 113,616 |
| 2016 | 21 | R | 43.3%57,282 | 56.7%75,126 | 132,408 |
| 2014 | 21 | R | 42.2%33,470 | 57.8%45,907 | 79,377 |
| 2012 | 21 | R | 42.2%49,119 | 57.8%67,164 | 116,283 |
| 2010 | 21 | R | 0.0%0 | 100.0%135,979 | 135,979 |
| 2008 | 21 | R | 31.6%66,317 | 68.4%143,498 | 209,815 |
| 2006 | 21 | R | 29.9%42,718 | 66.7%95,214 | 142,661 |
| 2004 | 21 | R | 26.8%51,594 | 73.2%140,721 | 192,315 |
| 2002 | 21 | R | 26.2%32,584 | 70.5%87,544 | 124,198 |
| 2000 | 21 | R | 24.8%49,318 | 71.6%142,539 | 199,100 |
| 1998 | 21 | R | 0.0%0 | 78.9%115,989 | 146,983 |
| 1996 | 21 | R | 26.5%50,694 | 65.9%125,916 | 191,152 |
| 1994 | 21 | R | 27.7%47,517 | 68.1%116,874 | 171,629 |
| 1992 | 21 | R | 34.7%68,058 | 65.2%127,758 | 195,965 |
| 1990 | 21 | R | 34.0%68,921 | 58.4%118,326 | 202,611 |
| 1988 | 21 | R | 28.8%75,739 | 69.1%181,413 | 262,671 |
| 1986 | 21 | R | 28.2%54,497 | 68.4%132,090 | 193,091 |
| 1984 | 21 | R | 25.9%62,085 | 72.3%173,504 | 239,968 |
| 1982 | 21 | R | 24.1%46,412 | 71.8%138,474 | 192,767 |
| 1980 | 21 | R | 48.2%73,898 | 48.7%74,674 | 153,400 |
| 1978 | 21 | D | 59.5%73,869 | 35.9%44,519 | 124,138 |
| 1976 | 21 | D | 66.5%101,837 | 28.8%44,094 | 153,109 |
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 |
CA-21 covers a swath of the San Joaquin Valley, where water rights and agricultural employment drive voter concerns more than most California districts. The 2024 presidential margin of R+8.4 makes it among the most Republican-leaning seats in the state.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 21.8 points in 2016. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 15.1 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 6.0 points.
A population of 756,383, a 26% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $68,124 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Congressional District 22 and Congressional District 13.
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 21st Congressional District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/0621/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.