Salud CarbajalServing

Salud Carbajal

U.S. HouseDemocrat

CA-24 U.S. House

Age 61·Mexican (immigrated from Moroleon, Guanajuato, Mexico at age 5)·Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation

Why This Race Matters

Salud Carbajal is running against Bob Smith (R).

Carbajal is running for re-election to a sixth term in a D+13 district rated as "Solid Democratic" by Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. He won re-election in 2024 with 62.7% of the vote against Republican Thomas Cole.

As a Marine Corps veteran and Mexican immigrant, Carbajal brings a unique perspective to Congress. His first act in Congress was the California Clean Coast Act banning future offshore oil drilling on California's coast. District boundaries changed following Proposition 50 approved in November 2025.

Key dates to watch: Primary on June 2, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Salud Carbajal represents California's 24th Congressional District, covering Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and portions of Ventura counties. Born in Moroleon, Guanajuato, Mexico, he immigrated to the United States at age five with his family, first settling in an Arizona copper mining town before moving to Oxnard, California, where his father became a farmworker. Carbajal worked summers in the fields alongside his father while pursuing his education, becoming the first in his family to graduate from a university. He served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, including active duty during the 1991 Gulf War.

Family & Heritage

Son of Mexican immigrants who worked as farmworkers. His father worked in Arizona copper mines before the family moved to Oxnard, CA. His mother raised eight children. First in his family to graduate from college. Relied on Pell Grants to attend UCSB.

Political Career

Before Politics

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (1984-1992) including Gulf War active duty; Staff, Santa Barbara County Public Health Department; Staff to Santa Barbara County Supervisor Naomi Schwartz (1993-2004); Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (2004-2016)

Education

B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara (1990); M.A. in Organizational Management, Fielding Graduate University (1994)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Environmental protection
*Climate action
*Offshore oil drilling ban
*Veterans services
*Infrastructure investment
*Affordable housing
*Farmworker protections
*Education access

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