Top story
ANCA endorses congressional allies for 2026 midterm elections
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA-42) – B [...] Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) – A
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Democratic · 3 November 2026
Judy Chu
U.S. Representative for California's 28th congressional district (since 2009)
Judy Chu, a Democrat and psychologist who has served in Congress since 2009 and represents California's 28th congressional district, faces Republican April Verlato, a former Arcadia city councilor, in the 2026 general election.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Judy Chu.
Latest coverage
Live News
Recent media coverage for Judy Chu.
-
Press Release: Rep. Judy Chu Responds to Allegations of Chinese Spying Targeting Taiwan President Lai’s Family
You can track bills proposed by Judy Chu on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Chu.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- July 7, 1953
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California
- Education
- Buchser High School (1970)
University of California, Los Angeles (B.A. in mathematics, 1974)
California School of Professional Psychology (Ph.D. in psychology, 1979)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Judy Chu was born on July 7, 1953, in Los Angeles, the second of four children of May Lin and Judson Chu. She grew up in South Los Angeles until her early teens, when the family moved to the Bay Area, and she graduated from Buchser High School in Santa Clara in 1970.
Chu earned a B.A. in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1974 and a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1979.
She taught psychology in the Los Angeles Community College District for 20 years, including 13 years at East Los Angeles College. She married Mike Eng in 1978, and they live in Monterey Park.
Career
Chu's first elected position was on the Garvey School Board in Rosemead in 1985. She was elected to the Monterey Park City Council in 1988 and was mayor for three terms.
She won a seat in the California State Assembly in a 2001 special election, and after term limits barred her from seeking a third term in 2006 she was elected to the State Board of Equalization from the 4th district.
In 2009 she won the special election for California's 32nd congressional district, vacated when Hilda Solis became secretary of labor, defeating Republican Betty Chu in a July 14 runoff and becoming the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress.
Redistricting moved her to the 27th district in 2012. In 2014 the House Ethics Committee formally reprimanded her for interfering with its investigation of her office.
In the 119th Congress she serves on the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Ways and Means, and she chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
2026 race
Judy Chu is the Democratic incumbent in California's 28th congressional district and was reelected with 64.9% of the vote in 2024. In the 2026 top-two primary she finished first with 116,321 votes, or 62.23%. Republican April Verlato, a former Arcadia city councilor and the district's runner-up in 2024, placed second with 32.11%, and Democratic businessman Peter Roybal was eliminated with 5.66%. Chu faces Verlato in the general election on November 3, 2026.