Redlands News | June 11, 2026
Hilton advances to the November general election, where he’ll face longtime politician Xavier Becerra.
Children and teenagers can receive free lunch at the Family Services Association of Redlands this summer.
California’s primary election will take place June 2, 2026, with voters selecting the top two candidates to advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.
Redlands is split between Congressional Districts 23 and 33, both of which feature crowded primary races this year.
Search your address to find out if you're in District 23 (orange) or District 33 (navy).
For information on the CA-33 race go here.
Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.
Editor’s note: Candidates were invited to participate in a standardized questionnaire. Responses received by publication deadline are included below. Responses were lightly edited for grammar, AP style and formatting, but were not substantively changed.
★ Indicates candidates who submitted questionnaire responses.
Tessa Lynn Hodge is a social worker, businesswoman and Democratic candidate running for California’s 23rd Congressional District. According to her campaign website, Hodge has worked in behavioral health, education and community advocacy and is campaigning on issues including affordable health care, housing affordability, public education, environmental protection and workers’ rights.
Visit campaign websiteMy name is Tessa Lynn Hodge, and I was born and raised in the 23rd District. I am a licensed clinical social worker, and in my career I have worked in our district’s hospitals as a medical social worker, in our schools providing school-based mental health services, and for the county in crisis response and policy work. I am running because I saw a need. I saw a need for representation for our district that truly reflected the people who live here and who understands the joys and challenges of living in the 23rd District. I want to see our hospitals fully staffed, our schools fully funded, and true opportunity for all of us here in the district.
I think one of the most critical issues facing not only District 23, but the entire country, is the state of the health care system. The majority of the 23rd District is rural and, as such, faces a significant shortage of medical services. Those who live in rural areas often have to travel significant distances to more populated areas to receive the health care services they need, placing a strain on those systems. In all areas, we are facing a shortage of health care professionals. My goal is to introduce legislation to help expand medical education programs to address the shortage of health care professionals. I would also work with state and local officials to identify barriers to increasing access in our rural areas, as well as funding streams to help build new medical facilities.
What sets me apart is my connection to this district. I’m the only candidate who has lived in the district my entire life and has dedicated their professional career to serving the community I grew up in. I’ve worked with families from all across the district in hospital rooms as they navigate complex medical systems while trying to care for a loved one. I’ve worked with families in their living rooms while a loved one is in crisis. I’ve worked in our schools supporting students, their families, teachers and administrators. I’ve seen firsthand how policy at the state and federal levels impacts individual members of our communities. I’m in this race because it is high time that someone who actually knows this community represents this community in Congress, instead of someone worth $97 million with their own private jet.
Karen Leigh Matthews is a medical doctor, retired U.S. Navy veteran and an independent candidate running for California’s 23rd Congressional District. According to her campaign website, Matthews is campaigning on lowering costs for working families, expanding access to health care and veterans services, and increasing government accountability outside the traditional two-party system.
Visit campaign websiteI’m Karen Matthews, a Navy veteran, physician and small business owner born and educated in Loma Linda. I spent more than 20 years serving as a radiologist in the United States Navy, leading medical teams and caring for service members. After leaving the military, I started a small business helping veterans navigate the benefits they earned. I know what it means to work hard, show up and take responsibility. I’m running as an independent because we are caught between a party that wants government to fail and a party that can’t make government work. Washington stopped listening to us. Families in CA-23 are dealing with rising rent, higher grocery bills and paychecks that don’t keep up, and Congress, under both parties, has failed to fix it. I’m not a career politician, and I’m not beholden to any party. I’m running as an independent because I believe the people of this district deserve a representative who actually lives their reality and will fight for them, not for party bosses.
The cost of living. Working families here are doing everything right and still falling behind. That’s not sustainable, and it’s not fair. As your representative, I’ll focus on practical solutions: making health care more affordable and transparent, standing up to corporate pricing abuse, supporting small businesses and local producers, and expanding housing options that don’t price families out. I’ll also fight to restore the dignity of work by working to raise the minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick leave, and protecting workers’ right to organize. Congress keeps debating. I’m ready to do the work.
My personal and professional experience. I didn’t come up through party politics; I came up through service. As a captain in the Navy, a doctor and a small business owner, I’ve spent my career solving real problems for real people. I know how to lead under pressure, make evidence-based decisions and put people first. I’m also the only independent in this race, which means I answer to voters, not to a party. Both parties have had their chance at leadership, and life just got more expensive. I’m not here to pick a side in their endless battles. I’m here to pick the side of the people who live with the consequences of what Congress does.
Karsten Scott Nicholson is running for California’s 23rd Congressional District. According to his campaign website, Nicholson supports anti-corporate and civil liberties positions including eliminating several federal agencies, reducing taxes, legalizing marijuana federally and ending qualified immunity for police. His platform also includes opposition to abortion and transgender surgery for minors, along with claims involving government corruption and conspiracies. Karsten did not submit a completed questionnaire in time for publication.
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Jay Obernolte is a congressman, business owner and Republican incumbent representing California’s 23rd Congressional District. First elected to Congress in 2020, Obernolte previously served in the California State Assembly and on the Big Bear Lake City Council. According to his campaign website, his priorities include economic growth, public safety, water infrastructure and technology policy. Rep. Obernolte did not submit a completed questionnaire in time for publication.
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Eli C. Owens is a No Party Preference candidate running for California’s 23rd Congressional District. According to his campaign website, Owens is focused on issues including government reform, economic opportunity, veterans issues and reducing political division, while promoting independent leadership outside the traditional two-party system. Eli did not submit a completed questionnaire in time for publication.
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Pat Wallis is a veteran advocate, technologist and Democratic candidate running for California’s 23rd Congressional District. According to his campaign website, Wallis previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has worked in technology and community advocacy. His campaign focuses on issues including healthcare access, veterans services, economic fairness and government accountability.
Visit campaign websiteI’m Pat Wallis — a veteran, husband and father who raised two kids here. I’ve spent nearly 30 years building mission-critical systems and leading complex teams: as an Army engineer officer, with the Coast Guard, as a city planner and today as founder of an innovation lab at Esri, the global leader in mapping technology. What I’ve learned is that service to country, community and family isn’t a moment. It’s a habit. Whether as a planning commissioner, a nonprofit leader helping veterans reintegrate after service, or in countless other ways, I’ve always shown up. Now I’m running for Congress in California’s 23rd District to address the cost-of-living crisis that has made saving a luxury for most families. I’m tired of watching Washington get richer while families here struggle. This district has been written off long enough, and I’ll serve it the only way I know how: day after day, year after year.
We’re living through a cost-of-living crisis generations in the making. Most households here earn about $80,000 annually, but living the American Dream costs closer to $166,000. Saving for retirement or your kids’ future has become a luxury most families can’t afford. We’re paying the price for a system that works only for the rich and powerful. In Congress, I’ll focus on closing that gap from two directions: bringing costs down and bringing wages up. That means reforms to make housing, health care, homeowners insurance, child care and college more affordable and accessible. It means expanding Social Security and Medicare — and asking high earners to continue contributing so those programs remain strong. It also means cutting red tape that keeps veterans from receiving the care they’ve earned. Families here are doing their part. Washington needs to start doing its.
Most candidates promise to fix what's broken. But that’s just part of what I do. I’ve built a career on my ability to envision what should exist rather than what’s given, and then I build it. That's been the hallmark of my career: as an Army engineer officer, a Coast Guard civil engineer, a city planner, and today running an innovation lab at the world's leading mapping technology company. I see what's wrong, imagine and plan a better version, and get impatient until someone builds the road from here to there. Usually, that person is me. Washington has plenty of people who can describe problems, but few can envision real solutions, and fewer still can deliver them. I'll bring three decades of doing exactly that to the work of representing this district. I'm not running to make a point, but to build what must come next.
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