2026 forecast · California 41st

Linda Sanchez is all but certain to win California's 41st District.

Linda Sanchez vs Mitch Clemmons, an open seat. The model has Sanchez ahead by 35.2 points, winning 100 percent of 2,000 simulated elections.

Safe DModel D +35.2Updated October 22, 2026
Linda Sanchez
Democrat
67.6%
173,830 projected votes
Mitch Clemmons
Republican
32.4%
83,267 projected votes
100%Sanchez
0%Clemmons
Sanchez all but certainEach square is one simulated election night, Sanchez wins about 100 of 100
RatingSafe D100% chance for Sanchez
Model marginD +35.2No polls in the race
80 percent rangeD +42.4 to D +28.02,000 simulations
Projected votes257,097Sanchez 67.6%

The district map

Every district in the state, shaded by its rating

California districts

52 districts
Safe DLikely DLean DToss upLean RLikely RSafe R

Vote share

Each candidate's projected share and the range of 80 percent of simulations

Linda SanchezDemocrat · 100% to win
67.6%
Mitch ClemmonsRepublican · 0% to win
32.4%

Scale runs from 25 to 75 percent. The dot is the forecast, the band is the 80 percent range and the brighter tick marks 50 percent.

Projected district vote

257,097 votes
CandidateVotesShare
Linda Sanchez D173,83067.6%
Mitch Clemmons R83,26732.4%
Total257,097100%

Each candidate's expected vote in the On Point simulation, at the forecast's projected turnout.

The trend

Each side's chance of winning over the forecast's recent updates

0%25%50%75%100%100% Sanchez0% Clemmons14 updates agoToday

Polling

Every poll in the average, and how the model reads it

The California governor polling average
25%30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%JunJulAugSepOct54.7Becerra36.0Hilton
The line is the On Point average: a robust LOWESS fit through the polls, weighted by recency, sample, voter screen and pollster grade, refit three times so outliers count for lessDot size is each poll's weight todayHover or use the arrow keys to read any day
What moves the average today
Manhattan InstituteOct 1 · 1,000 LV · NR16%Becerra +19.0
PPICSep 10 · 1,103 LV · NR16%Becerra +22.0
Independent Voter ProjectOct 2 · 2,906 LV · NR15%Becerra +10.0
Emerson CollegeOct 19 · 1,000 LV · Gold14%Becerra +27.0
Independent Voter ProjectSep 28 · 2,906 LV · NR13%Becerra +10.0
UC Berkeley Citrin Center/TrueDot/PoliticoSep 14 · 1,983 LV · B11%Becerra +18.0
Every other poll together: 15%

This is the same On Point polling average as the full average page. The forecast reads the polls through its own Election Day projection, shown as the On Point average in the table below, and blends it with partisan lean and fundamentals.

Polls of the race

Full average
PollsterSampleAgeMargin
On Point averageWeighted averageNo polls

Each margin is the poll as the pollster published it. The forecast counts every poll after its house effect and the undecided split, which is what the trail above shows; hover a margin for the counted value. Lean R and Lean D mark partisan leaning firms.

Model margin
Sanchez +35.2
Chance of winning
Linda Sanchez100%
Mitch Clemmons0%
Simulated vote
Linda Sanchez67.6%
Mitch Clemmons32.4%
How the model gets there
Partisan leanR +14.0
FundamentalsD +35.1
With pollsD +34.1
Early vote turnoutD +1.1
With early voteD +35.2

Read from 0 ballots cast so far in California, against the party mix the forecast expected of them, with similar states and primary turnout. Early vote tracker

How we got here

From the state's partisan lean to the forecast, one stage at a time

D +42R +42Partisan leanthe state's baselineR +14.0Fundamentalsapproval, economy, candidatesD +35.1With pollsno pollsD +34.1With early voteturnout so farD +35.2
Methodology
Every county is rebuilt by simulating voters going to the polls, 2,000 times, from On Point Polling survey data, past results, and the polling average. How the model works.