Incumbent
CA-19 primary: first place
$1.2K
JUN 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Representative
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age56 years old (Oct 1, 1969)
GenderMale
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LocationCalifornia
BackgroundAttorney
EducationMonterey Peninsula College (attended)
Notable personal detailsJames Varni "Jimmy" Panetta is a U.S. Representative for California’s 19th Congressional District, first elected in 2016. He previously served as a prosecutor in Monterey and Alameda Counties and as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, including a 2007 deployment to Afghanistan for which he received a Bronze Star. He earned an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of California, Davis and a J.D. from Santa Clara University.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports measures to lower costs for working- and middle-class families, opposes large partisan tax cuts that primarily benefit wealthy taxpayers and corporations, and has co-sponsored legislation aimed at cutting taxes for the middle class while expanding affordability programs.
Healthcare
Supports strengthening and expanding public health programs to increase access and affordability, including legislation to protect and reform Medicare, expand coverage options for chronic disease treatment, and bipartisan efforts to lower healthcare costs and protect access to care.
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Immigration & Border
Supports humanitarian-focused immigration reforms including protections for asylum seekers, expanded legal assistance and pathways to legalization for law‑abiding immigrants, while engaging on border security and operational concerns. Has criticized aggressive ICE/CBP tactics and advocated for increased humanitarian aid and processing resources at the border. Has sponsored legislation to protect immigrant witnesses and victims from deportation and convened local leaders to coordinate community responses to enforcement actions.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports federal protections for abortion access and has backed legislation and caucus activity to protect a woman’s right to choose, including support for the Women’s Health Protection Act and other measures to secure reproductive health care and access to medication abortion.
Climate & Energy
Supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investments and incentives, opposes offshore oil and gas leasing along the California coast, and has promoted clean transportation and EV charging infrastructure. Positions emphasize climate mitigation, coastal protection, and support for clean energy tax credits while allowing for pragmatic policy and transition measures.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports expanding and strengthening background checks and other common-sense gun safety measures while seeking to remove weapons of war from circulation. Has sponsored/reintroduced legislation to improve NICS data integrity and tighten enforcement to prevent prohibited purchasers from acquiring firearms.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262022
2024
2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
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