Who's running? This question drives the early phase of any election cycle. But tracking candidate announcements across California's thousands of local races is a fragmented challenge: some file officially months in advance, some announce on social media, some quietly open a committee before going public. Missing an early entrant means missing the chance to understand a race before it takes shape.
State vs. Local: Two Different Worlds
Candidate tracking works fundamentally differently for state and local races:
State candidates (Assembly, Senate, Congress, statewide offices) must file official paperwork with the Secretary of State before they can raise or spend money. When a candidate files Form 410 (Statement of Organization), they're officially in the race. The platform pulls this data directly from Cal-Access—it's authoritative and comprehensive.
Local candidates (city council, school board, county supervisor) are a different story. Filing requirements vary by jurisdiction, and there's no centralized database. The platform aggregates candidate information from multiple sources: county clerk websites, news coverage, campaign announcements, endorsement lists. This means local candidate data is less complete and less immediate than state data—candidates may be running without appearing on the platform, especially early in the cycle.
Finding Candidate Information
For state legislative races (Assembly, Senate, Congressional): Navigate to the legislative district, then click the 2026 Election tab. This opens the Election page showing all candidates who have filed with the Secretary of State, along with their campaign finance data. You can also browse all state races from the Elections index.
For local races (city council, county supervisor, school board, etc.): On any jurisdiction page, click the Candidates tab. This tab only appears when candidates have been identified for upcoming elections.
Alternatively, browse the Local Candidates directory from the sidebar under Local → Elections & Candidates.
Reading the Candidates Page
Candidates are grouped by office—Mayor, City Council District 1, School Board Trustee Area 3, etc. Each office section expands to show:
- Candidate names with links to their person profiles
- Campaign finance snapshot: Raised, Spent, Cash on Hand, Debt
- Source citations (local races only): Numbered links documenting where the candidacy was confirmed
- Campaign website: Globe icon when available
The financial snapshot comes from Form 460 filings. Click through to the committee profile for full contribution and expenditure details.
What Early Fundraising Signals
Campaign finance data in the months before an election reveals competitive dynamics that won't be visible from candidate lists alone:
Cash on hand is the most immediate indicator of campaign viability. A candidate with $50,000 in the bank can mount a real campaign; one with $500 probably cannot.
Fundraising velocity matters as much as total dollars. A candidate who raised $20,000 in their first month is on a different trajectory than one who raised $20,000 over two years from a prior race.
Donor base composition tells you about coalition building. Is the candidate funded by small-dollar donors, a few maxed-out contributors, or their own personal loans? Click through to the committee profile to see the receipt breakdown.
Early endorsement money often shows up before public endorsement announcements. Large contributions from party committees or elected officials signal organizational support.
Data Completeness by Office Type
State candidates have comprehensive, standardized data. When a candidate files their committee paperwork, they appear on the platform. Party affiliation is tracked because these are partisan offices. Campaign finance data comes directly from Cal-Access filings.
Local candidates have variable coverage:
- Campaign finance data is available for jurisdictions that file electronically through Netfile
- Jurisdictions not on Netfile have no campaign finance visibility on this platform
- Most local offices are non-partisan, so party affiliation isn't tracked
- Candidate discovery depends on finding announcements through news, filings, or other sources
When the Candidates page shows "No campaign finance data," it may mean:
- The candidate hasn't opened a committee yet
- The jurisdiction doesn't use an electronic filing system
- The candidate is below reporting thresholds
Important Limitations
For local races: this is not an official ballot. Candidates appear based on announcements and filings the platform has discovered. Verify with the official election authority closer to the election.
Source quality varies for local races. Some candidates are confirmed through official filing lists; others through news coverage or campaign announcements. Hover over source numbers to see the original documentation.
Campaign finance is backward-looking. Financial snapshots reflect what was reported in the last filing period. Recent fundraising activity won't appear until the next disclosure deadline.
Incumbency isn't shown on the Candidates page. To see who currently holds the office, check the Incumbents section on the jurisdiction's Overview page.
Practical Applications
Assessing race competitiveness: A race with five candidates and three raising serious money is more competitive than a race with five candidates and one dominant fundraiser. Compare cash positions across candidates to gauge the real contest.
Identifying early movers: Candidates who open committees and begin fundraising 18+ months before an election are signaling serious intent. Track them early to understand the developing field.
Finding under-the-radar races: Scan across districts in a city or county. A school board race with three candidates and active fundraising may be more consequential than a council race with one candidate coasting.
Verifying announcements: When you hear a candidate announced, check whether they appear on the platform and what sources document their candidacy. The source citations provide accountability for candidate information.
Common Mistakes
Treating absence of local data as absence of activity. A candidate without campaign finance data may still be raising money through a jurisdiction the platform doesn't cover, or may not have reached filing thresholds.
Comparing fundraising across office types. $10,000 is a lot for a school board race; it's nothing for a mayoral race in a major city. Benchmark against similar offices.
Ignoring debt. A candidate with $30,000 raised and $25,000 debt is in a different position than one with $30,000 raised and $5,000 cash on hand. Check whether debt is from candidate loans (self-funding) or unpaid vendor bills.
Assuming the field is set. Until the official filing deadline passes, candidates can enter or withdraw. Monitor throughout the filing period, not just at a single point in time.