Salud Carbajal
Salud Carbajal, a Democrat who has represented California's 24th congressional district since 2017, faces Republican Bob Smith, an engineer who finished second in the top-two primary, in the 2026 general election.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- November 18, 1964
- Birthplace
- Moroleón, Mexico
- Education
- University of California, Santa Barbara (Bachelor of Arts, 1990)
Fielding Graduate University (master's degree in organizational management)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Salud Carbajal was born on November 18, 1964, in Moroleón, Mexico. He immigrated with his family to the United States, first to Arizona and later to Oxnard, California, where his father worked as a farmworker.
Carbajal earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1990 and a master's degree in organizational management from Fielding Graduate University. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for eight years, including during the Gulf War.
He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Gina, and they have two children.
Career
Carbajal was first elected to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in 2004, representing the first district, and was reelected in 2008 and 2012.
After incumbent Lois Capps announced her retirement, he entered the 2016 race for California's 24th congressional district, finished first in the June 7 primary with 31.9% and defeated Republican Justin Fareed in the November general election with 53.4% of the vote.
He was reelected over Fareed in 2018, Andy Caldwell in 2020, Brad Allen in 2022 and Thomas Cole in 2024, winning 62.7% in the most recent contest.
In the 118th Congress he served on the Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, and Transportation and Infrastructure, and he was ranking member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
2026 race
Salud Carbajal is the Democratic incumbent in California's 24th congressional district, which covers Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. In the 2026 top-two primary he finished first with 113,716 votes, or 54.36%, and engineer Bob Smith placed second with 35.89%. Democrat Sarah Bacon, a graduate student, and Peace and Freedom candidate Helena Pasquarella, a teacher, were eliminated. Carbajal faces Smith in the general election on November 3, 2026.