California 51st Congressional District
Akashic| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | +13.8% |
| 2012 | +12.7% |
| 2016 | +19.4% |
| 2020 | +22.9% |
| 2024 | +18.2% |
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 | 51 | D | 60.7%198,835 | 39.3%128,749 | 327,584 |
| 2022 | 51 | D | 61.9%144,186 | 38.1%88,886 | 233,072 |
| 2020 | 51 | D | 68.3%165,596 | 31.7%76,841 | 242,437 |
| 2018 | 51 | D | 71.2%109,527 | 28.8%44,301 | 153,828 |
| 2016 | 51 | D | 72.8%145,162 | 27.2%54,362 | 199,524 |
| 2014 | 51 | D | 68.8%56,373 | 31.2%25,577 | 81,950 |
| 2012 | 51 | D | 71.5%113,934 | 28.5%45,464 | 159,398 |
| 2010 | 51 | D | 60.1%86,423 | 39.9%57,488 | 143,916 |
| 2008 | 51 | D | 72.7%148,281 | 24.2%49,345 | 203,825 |
| 2006 | 51 | D | 67.4%78,114 | 30.2%34,931 | 115,839 |
| 2004 | 51 | D | 61.6%111,441 | 35.1%63,526 | 180,879 |
| 2002 | 51 | D | 57.9%59,541 | 39.3%40,430 | 102,787 |
| 2000 | 51 | R | 30.4%81,408 | 64.3%172,291 | 267,799 |
| 1998 | 51 | R | 34.7%71,706 | 61.0%126,229 | 206,878 |
| 1996 | 51 | R | 28.9%66,250 | 65.1%149,032 | 229,024 |
| 1994 | 51 | R | 27.7%57,374 | 66.9%138,547 | 206,988 |
| 1992 | 51 | R | 33.7%85,148 | 56.1%141,890 | 252,995 |
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 51st stretches along the Tijuana border crossing, one of the busiest land ports in the world, giving it a heavily Latino electorate and consistent double-digit Democratic margins in federal races.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 22.9 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 4.6 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 18.2 points.
A population of 757,586, a 56% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $107,410 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Congressional District 50 and Congressional District 16.
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 51st Congressional District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/0651/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.