California’s unusual top two primary system has created a second November election story alongside Democrats’ attempt to win back the House and Senate. Eight U.S. House races pit two Democrats against each other, turning the general election into a test of age, ideological change, incumbency, and money.

In the Seventh District around Sacramento, Rep. Doris Matsui is in a serious fight against Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang, who is endorsed by the Working Families Party and Justice Democrats. Matsui turned 82 on Friday, and either she or her husband has held the House seat since 1979.

Matsui narrowly lost the primary, and general election polling shows a similar divide. Her allies created Affordable California, a pop up super PAC with an initial $400,000 advertising purchase, helping push outside spending for Matsui to about $600,000 compared with $470,000 supporting Vang.

Rep. Aisha Wahab again faces Melissa Hernandez in the 14th District after winning the special election for Eric Swalwell’s seat. In the Fourth District, 75 year old Rep. Mike Thompson faces venture capitalist Eric Jones, who has provided $5.3 million in self funding and benefited from $1.2 million in outside spending.

The 34th District contest offers an especially sharp picture of the Democratic divide. Angela Gonzales Torres is challenging Rep. Jimmy Gomez, whose previous opponents included Kenneth Mejia and David Kim, with Kim losing by only 51 to 48 in 2022.

Gomez now faces a sexual misconduct investigation by the House Ethics Committee. He has admitted to a consensual affair, while the reported allegations involve House staffers, including one who said Gomez sexually assaulted and harassed her.

The investigation was announced one day before the primary, when Gomez received 46% of the vote and Gonzales Torres received 31%. Afterward, numerous state party delegates, including delegates from his district, petitioned the party to withdraw its formal endorsement.

Gonzales Torres initially entered the race out of frustration with Gomez’s refusal to support the Block the Bombs Act, which would prevent sales of U.S. weapons to the Israeli military. Gomez was the only Democrat benefiting from AIPAC political spending in the 2024 general election, totaling nearly $3 million.

Fairshake, a crypto industry PAC, also spent $500,000 on advertising for Gomez in 2024, while Leading the Future, which is funded by the AI industry, has endorsed him. Gonzales Torres, a democratic socialist and DSA member, has received help from progressive groups including Leaders We Deserve.

The district includes downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, East L.A., Eagle Rock, and Koreatown. Its economy has suffered from continued Hollywood production slowdowns and the aftermath of last year’s ICE surge, which a UCLA study linked to collapsing small business activity in Latino communities.

Gonzales Torres, whose father was deported when she was 15, is campaigning on Medicare for All, housing investment, tuition free public college, and a pathway to citizenship. Her campaign has also worked with community partners and held sessions explaining legal rights to residents who may encounter ICE.

Environmental conditions have become another dividing line. After a June 17 fire at a Lineage cold storage facility in Boyle Heights caused hazards and evacuations, Gomez issued his first public statement four days later, saying his office was “closely monitoring” the situation.

In the 11th District, county supervisor Connie Chan faces state Sen. Scott Wiener for a seat held by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for nearly 40 years. Pelosi endorsed Chan before the primary, hosted fundraisers for her, and worked behind the scenes to secure endorsements.

Chan is presenting herself as the progressive and labor aligned candidate, while Wiener has emphasized his legislative record and efforts to build more housing. His campaign drew fierce criticism after releasing an AI chatbot depicting Chan that could be prompted to mock her upbringing before the campaign removed it.

Outside spending in that race has exceeded $2 million, including more than $1 million supporting Wiener and more than $600,000 combined from two groups supporting Chan. Relying on grassroots and labor support, Chan said, “I think for us, if and when we win, we will change the trajectory of the Democratic Party.”