The lines have been redrawn, the districts reshuffled, and now Sacramento’s political landscape is about to shift. California’s newly remapped 3rd Congressional District—spanning Nevada County, El Dorado County, and chunks of Placer and Sacramento counties—has become a wide-open race that could reshape local representation in Congress.
Here’s what changed: Republican Kevin Kiley, who currently holds the seat, decided to jump ship. Rather than defend his home turf under the new boundaries that voters approved through Proposition 50, he’s banking on a better shot at Congress by running for California District 6 against the incumbent Democrat, Ami Bera. That move cleared the field and turned District 3 into one of the state’s most competitive races heading into the June 2 primary.
Eight candidates are running, but six emerged as the leading contenders in interviews with KCRA 3. On the Democratic side, the race features a diverse slate: Chris Bennett, an Army veteran and former tech worker who left his job to campaign full-time; Ami Bera, the current congressman from District 6 who’s looking to expand his reach; Lyndon“Pacey”Cervantes, a longtime radio personality and community advocate; and Heidi Hall, a Nevada County Supervisor with Environmental Protection Agency experience. Republicans are banking on Christine Bish, a small business owner and realtor, and Robb Tucker, another Nevada County Supervisor with a business background. Rounding out the ballot are Republican Laura Koscki and Green Party candidate Chris Richardson.
The central tension of this race? Bridging two worlds. The newly drawn district stitches together the rural, wildfire-prone mountains of the Sierra Nevada with the urban and suburban sprawl of greater Sacramento. It’s a coalition that didn’t naturally exist before redistricting, and candidates are wrestling with radically different constituent priorities. For mountain communities, it’s about wildfire mitigation, insurance availability, and forest management. For Sacramento-area voters, it’s public safety, housing affordability, and homelessness. Candidates have to convince voters they understand both worlds—or risk being seen as tools of the cities or the countryside.
The policy divides are sharp. Democrats largely align on expanding healthcare access, with most pushing toward Medicare for all, tackling PG&E as a for-profit utility, and taking a more permissive stance on immigration reform. Republicans favor deregulation, lower taxes, forest management through timber harvesting, and tougher immigration enforcement. On wildfires specifically, Democrats emphasize federal forest management and insurance reform, while Republicans stress past government mismanagement and want to rely more on individual homeowner responsibility and market-based solutions. Bennett stands out even among Democrats for his critique of military spending driving oil prices; Bera leans on his current House credentials and relationships with local officials; Hall and Cervantes both position themselves as grassroots and anti-corporate.
Top-two primary voting means the two leading finishers advance to November’s general election, regardless of party affiliation. That could flip the seat blue if Democrats consolidate votes—or keep it red if the Republican vote holds. What’s certain: this race will reshape how Congress views Northern California’s future.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
