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Ami Bera launches re-election bid in CA’s newly drawn 3rd district
Bera, who has represented Sacramento County for over a decade, enters the race with nearly $2 million in campaign funds, signaling strong early support.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 05, Nov 2025
- 13:31 EST
- 24
Indian American Congressman Ami Bera / Wikipedia
Indian American Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) on Nov. 5 announced his run for re-election in California’s newly redrawn third congressional district, positioning himself as part of the democratic push to retake the House majority in 2026.
Bera, who has represented Sacramento County for over a decade, enters the race with nearly $2 million in campaign funds, signaling strong early support. “The path to a Democratic House majority runs through California,” Bera said in a statement. “I’m stepping up in CA-03 to help deliver that majority and to keep fighting for the hardworking families who call the greater Sacramento region home.”
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His announcement follows the passage of Proposition 50, a measure backed by Governor Gavin Newsom that allows the redrawing of congressional maps mid-decade. The change is expected to provide Democrats with a structural advantage in several suburban and exurban districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Under the new map, Bera’s district—now with a D+6 partisan lean—includes a larger portion of Sacramento County and parts of Placer and El Dorado counties. About 60 percent of the new district overlaps with areas he has previously represented, giving him an established base of support.
His expected Republican challenger, Representative Kevin Kiley, currently holds the seat under the old boundaries and has said he will stay in the race despite the district’s shift toward Democrats.
Bera’s campaign has positioned his run as part of a broader Democratic effort to regain the House majority. “With nearly $2 million in the bank, a strong record of service, and a clear path to victory, we’re ready to take back the House majority and place a much-needed check on Donald Trump’s power,” he said.
A physician and longtime Sacramento resident, Bera was first elected to Congress in 2012 after defeating a nine-term Republican incumbent in one of the state’s most competitive races. He has since won multiple re-election contests — in 2014, 2016, and 2018 — often outperforming top-of-ticket Democrats.
In 2024, he outpaced former Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.4 percentage points in CA-06, reflecting crossover appeal among independent and suburban voters.
He currently serves as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, and a member of the centrist New Democrat Coalition.
Before entering Congress, Bera worked for more than two decades as a physician, Sacramento County’s Chief Medical Officer, and as a clinical professor and dean of admissions at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.
His congressional office reports assisting more than 34,000 residents and returning over $22 million to local taxpayers through casework and federal benefits.
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