Eric Jones leads Rep. Mike Thompson in all-Democratic California House race

Challenger Eric Jones leads Rep. Mike Thompson in California's 4th Congressional District, a race in which both candidates are Democrats. NBC News' results page shows Jones at 52.2% and Thompson at 47.8%, with 82.9% of expected votes counted ³. The page does not say the race has been called ³.

About 45,000 votes were still estimated to be outstanding, and NBC says Thompson would need 60.5% of them to overtake Jones ³. That is a steep climb. The page carries no calendar date, so the numbers may have changed since it was posted ³.

On tapeKPIX | CBS NEWS BAY AREA · Nov 7

▶3:27

A rare same-party fight

Both candidates advanced from California's June primary, which sends the top two finishers to November regardless of party. Thompson took 41% in that vote. Jones got 22.2% and Republican Ray Riehle got 20.7% ¹. Jones later won Riehle's endorsement ¹.

Jones is 35, a former venture capitalist with no prior political experience ¹. He reported spending more than $15 million of his own money, in gifts and loans ¹. Thompson is 75 ¹.

From Channel GOPHakeem Jeffries: Democrats take back the HouseHakeem Jeffries · 45 plays · captioned, with the source named

On election night, Jones led by 4,258 votes out of close to 120,000 counted ¹. By Nov. 9, with about 66% of ballots counted, he led 52% to 48%, and an estimated 37% were still uncounted across the five-county district ². His lead has held in the later counts ²³.

What the candidates said

Thompson has served 28 years in Congress, and this is his toughest race ¹. In his 14 earlier general elections, he never received less than 61% ¹.

Jones has said he expects to win. Thompson has said he is waiting for the final count ¹².

Our numbers show we're going to win this thing,

Thompson spoke to supporters in Napa on election night ¹. He said his campaign "was a true grassroots effort" and that he looked forward to the final vote count ¹.

What happens next

Counties have until Dec. 3 to certify their results with the California Secretary of State ². Until then, the tally can still shift. The geography matters: early returns had Thompson ahead in Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties, while Jones led in the others ¹.

If the lead holds, one Democrat will replace another, so the House Democratic caucus would not gain or lose a seat from this race. That matters because the change is generational. Jones ran on a message of change, saying leaders must move to "actions on the issues that actually affect people's lives" ².

We could not confirm a formal projection from a news source we could read. We will update this brief when the race is called or the count is final.

The Record

1. Jun 2, 2026Thompson took 41% in the top-two primary and Jones 22.2%, ahead of Republican Ray Riehle at 20.7% ¹.
2. Nov 3, 2026On election night Jones led Thompson by 4,258 votes out of close to 120,000 counted ¹.
3. Nov 9, 2026With about 66% counted, Jones led 52% to 48%, and counties have until Dec. 3 to certify ².

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>Eric Jones leads Rep. Mike Thompson in all-Democratic California House race</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/eric-jones-leads-rep-mike-thompson-in-all-democratic-california-house-race">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 12, 2026.</em></p> <p>Challenger Eric Jones leads Rep. Mike Thompson in California&#39;s 4th Congressional District, a race in which both candidates are Democrats. NBC News&#39; results page shows Jones at 52.2% and Thompson at 47.8%, with 82.9% of expected votes counted . The page does not say the race has been called .</p> <p>About 45,000 votes were still estimated to be outstanding, and NBC says Thompson would need 60.5% of them to overtake Jones . That is a steep climb. The page carries no calendar date, so the numbers may have changed since it was posted .</p> <h2>A rare same-party fight</h2> <p>Both candidates advanced from California&#39;s June primary, which sends the top two finishers to November regardless of party. Thompson took 41% in that vote. Jones got 22.2% and Republican Ray Riehle got 20.7% . Jones later won Riehle&#39;s endorsement .</p> <p>Jones is 35, a former venture capitalist with no prior political experience . He reported spending more than $15 million of his own money, in gifts and loans . Thompson is 75 .</p> <p>On election night, Jones led by 4,258 votes out of close to 120,000 counted . By Nov. 9, with about 66% of ballots counted, he led 52% to 48%, and an estimated 37% were still uncounted across the five-county district . His lead has held in the later counts .</p> <h2>What the candidates said</h2> <p>Thompson has served 28 years in Congress, and this is his toughest race . In his 14 earlier general elections, he never received less than 61% .</p> <p>Jones has said he expects to win. Thompson has said he is waiting for the final count .</p> <blockquote><p>Our numbers show we&#39;re going to win this thing,</p><p>&mdash; Eric Jones, Democratic challenger, California&#39;s 4th District</p></blockquote> <p>Thompson spoke to supporters in Napa on election night . He said his campaign &quot;was a true grassroots effort&quot; and that he looked forward to the final vote count .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Counties have until Dec. 3 to certify their results with the California Secretary of State . Until then, the tally can still shift. The geography matters: early returns had Thompson ahead in Napa, Sonoma and Yolo counties, while Jones led in the others .</p> <p>If the lead holds, one Democrat will replace another, so the House Democratic caucus would not gain or lose a seat from this race. That matters because the change is generational. Jones ran on a message of change, saying leaders must move to &quot;actions on the issues that actually affect people&#39;s lives&quot; .</p> <p>We could not confirm a formal projection from a news source we could read. We will update this brief when the race is called or the count is final.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/eric-jones-leads-rep-mike-thompson-in-all-democratic-california-house-race">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/eric-jones-leads-rep-mike-thompson-in-all-democratic-california-house-race.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. The Press Democrat, “Election 2026: Jones leads Thompson in tight race among Democrats for California's 4th Congressional District” (2026-11-04). pressdemocrat.com/2026/11/03/thompson-jones-california-house
2. KTVU FOX 2, “Challenger Eric Jones leads Rep. Mike Thompson in tight North Bay congressional race” (2026-11-09). ktvu.com/news/challenger-eric-jones-leads-rep-mike-thompson-
3. NBC News, “California House District 4 Midterm Election 2026: Live Results” (2026-11-12). nbcnews.com/politics/2026-elections/california-us-house-dist

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.