Thompson has lead in early voting for California’s 4th Congressional District
Early totals showed voters in California’s 4th Congressional District favored a veteran member of Congress to represent the newly drawn district.
As of 9 p.m., U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democrat, led with about 39% of the vote while Republican Ray Riehle and Democrat Eric Jones were in a tight race for the second spot on the November ballot with about 23% and 21% of the vote, respectively.
Going into the election, Democrats were expected to have the upper hand, following Proposition 50. The district now stretches from the Napa Valley through Yolo County and into the Sacramento Valley, including the cities of Lincoln, Yuba City, Woodland and American Canyon.
Who are the candidates?
Thompson, 75, was first elected to Congress in 1998, and has won reelection since. He was in the state Senate before heading to Washington, where he serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee and the Health Subcommittee, according to his congressional website. He’s the founder and co-chair of House caucuses on wine, wild salmon and invasive species, his website says.
Jones, 35, is a Yale University graduate who started his career in San Francisco as a venture capitalist. He lives in Napa with his wife and their two children. He is the founder of the American Dream Institute, a nonprofit that hopes to engage young people. His top priorities include affordability, childcare accessibility and taxing billionaires and corporations.
Riehle, a small business owner from Citrus Height, hopes to bring conservative values to counteract Democratic policies, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting. He owns A-Applied Mailing Service.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 8:45 PM.
