2026 Midterms · U.S. House · California Safe
California — 46th District
Democratic
Lou Correa
Incumbent
Republican
David Pan
The 2026 election for California's 46th Congressional District features a rematch between five-term Democratic incumbent Lou Correa and Republican nominee David Pan, a U.C. Irvine German professor and former management consultant. Following the approval of California Proposition 50 in 2025, the district boundaries were updated under mid-decade redistricting. Major race rating outlets—including Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill—rate the seat as Solid Democratic or Safe Democratic. The matchup hinges on contrasting visions regarding federal entitlement spending, healthcare structure, border security, and school choice.
Economy, Taxes, and National Debt
high saliencePan proposes replacing current federal entitlement spending with a private universal basic income model to cut the debt, while Correa supports federal infrastructure and social program investments.
Lou Correa
Supports federal economic investments and relief
Correa supports targeted federal spending for infrastructure, economic recovery, and tax relief. He voted for major Democratic economic packages like the Inflation Reduction Act while opposing Republican budget reconciliation and debt-limit legislation.
- Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
- Voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
- Voted against the 2025 budget reconciliation bill (H.R.1) and the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023
“He believes public service should be about people, not playing partisan games.”
David Pan
Supports UBI transition and tax cuts
Pan advocates cutting taxes and regulations on small businesses to create jobs and reducing the federal deficit by over $1 trillion annually. He proposes phasing out traditional welfare and entitlement spending to return $4 trillion per year directly to citizens as a universal basic income.
- Proposes reducing taxes and regulations on small businesses to stimulate job creation
- Plans to phase out existing federal entitlement programs to return $4 trillion per year directly to Americans via a $16,000 annual UBI ($12,000 cash + $4,000 health voucher) for citizens 21 and older
- Guarantees existing Social Security and Medicare benefits for citizens aged 37 and older
“My plan is to phase out all of our current welfare and entitlement programs and return this money (over $4 trillion per year) to the American people.”
“Reducing taxes and regulations on small businesses will create jobs and renew our communities.”
Healthcare and Safety Net Programs
high saliencePan advocates privatizing Medicare and Medicaid into a health voucher market, whereas Correa voted to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and enable Medicare drug price negotiations.
Lou Correa
Supports ACA expansion and Medicare drug negotiations
Correa supports protecting and expanding public healthcare programs. He voted to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.
- Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to extend ACA subsidies and authorize Medicare prescription drug price negotiations
- Voted for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 providing pandemic health resources
David Pan
Supports privatizing healthcare and health vouchers
Pan proposes privatizing Medicare and Medicaid while providing every adult citizen with a $4,000 annual health insurance voucher into Health Savings Accounts paired with catastrophic coverage. He also demands price transparency from all medical providers.
- Proposes a $4,000 annual health insurance voucher to create universal coverage within a private market system
- Requires healthcare providers to post transparent pricing for all procedures
- Privatizes Medicaid and Medicare, allowing citizens to stay in those programs by paying monthly premiums from their health vouchers
“A first key reform would be to require all healthcare providers to post prices for their procedures.”
“Medicaid and Medicare would be privatized, and people could still choose to remain in these programs by paying the monthly premiums.”
Border Security and Immigration
high saliencePan prioritizes strict border enforcement to stop illicit migration, while Correa focuses on protecting Dreamers and voting against Republican enforcement bills.
Lou Correa
Supports Dreamers and opposes strict border measures
Correa serves on the House Homeland Security and Judiciary subcommittees overseeing border security and immigration. Representing a district with a substantial Dreamer population, he routinely votes against strict Republican border enforcement bills.
- Assigned to the House Homeland Security and Judiciary subcommittees on Border Security and Immigration
- Voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2) and the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act (H.R. 875)
- Recorded as Not Voting on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) in 2025
“IT is a middle-class, blue-collar community, that is home to many proud American Veterans, many from our Greatest Generation, as well as the largest number of Dreamers in the United States.”
David Pan
Supports border enforcement and border security
Pan calls for securing the border to block illegal migrants, illicit drugs, criminals, and terrorists. He considers border control an essential prerequisite before establishing broader immigration policy.
- Calls for border enforcement to stem the flow of illegal migrants and illicit drugs
- Advocates securing the physical border before enacting comprehensive immigration policy
“To regain control over our future, we need to secure our border so that we can develop a consistent immigration policy.”
Education and School Choice
medium saliencePan supports school vouchers and charter schools while advocating higher education reform, whereas Correa voted against federal restrictions on school athletic participation.
Lou Correa
Opposes sports restrictions on transgender students
Correa's documented education record includes voting against federal legislation that bans biological males from participating in women's school sports programs.
- Voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (H.R. 28)
David Pan
Supports school vouchers and higher ed reform
Pan supports school vouchers and charter schools to empower parents. Drawing on his experience as a professor, he also calls for reforming higher education funding to mandate research accountability and foster ideological diversity.
- Supports charter schools and school vouchers for parental educational options
- Advocates federal guidelines for higher education funding to ensure research reproducibility and political viewpoint diversity
- Criticizes left-wing bias and academic groupthink in universities
“Parents should have the information they need to make decisions about their children’s education, and they should have access to all the educational options in their community. I support charter schools and school vouchers to allow all parents to choose the best education for their children.”
“We need to create new guidelines for government funding of higher education that demands more accountability from researchers and more diversity of perspectives.”
Public Safety and Law Enforcement
medium saliencePan emphasizes police recruitment and strict law enforcement, while Correa voted against adding automatic deportation penalties for DUI offenses.
Lou Correa
Opposes expanding immigration criminal penalties
Correa's public safety voting record includes opposing federal legislation that establishes driving while intoxicated as mandatory grounds for immigration deportation or inadmissibility.
- Voted against H.R. 875 (Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025)
David Pan
Supports recruiting police and law enforcement
Pan calls for recruiting more police officers and enforcing existing laws to tackle rising crime and ensure safe streets.
- Advocates recruiting additional police officers to improve neighborhood safety
- Calls for strict law enforcement to curb rising crime
“To make our streets safe again, we need to recruit more police and enforce our laws.”
Governance, Election Integrity, and Lobbying Reform
low saliencePan proposes a Constitutional amendment to curb special interest lobbying, while Correa voted against federal mandates requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
Lou Correa
Opposes proof-of-citizenship voting requirements
Correa's record on voting policy includes opposing federal mandates that require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections.
- Voted against the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration
David Pan
Supports Constitutional amendment against lobbyist benefits
Pan advocates a Constitutional amendment prohibiting federal agencies from granting selective benefits to specific groups, aiming to eliminate special interest lobbying.
- Proposes a Constitutional amendment barring federal agencies from bestowing selective group benefits
- Aims to remove special interest lobbying incentives by stripping government power to distribute targeted benefits
“I support a Constitutional amendment to prohibit government agencies from providing benefits to some people and not to others.”