Marena Lin
Marena Lin (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 32nd Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the primary on June 2, 2026.[source]
Lin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Marena Lin graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 2011, a graduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2019. Her career experience includes working as a scientist.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: California's 32nd Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary occurred on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Nonpartisan primary
Nonpartisan primary election for U.S. House California District 32
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 32 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Brad Sherman (D) | |
 | Christopher Ahuja (D) | |
 | Dory Benami (D)  | |
 | Jake Levine (D) | |
 | Marena Lin (D) | |
 | Josh Sautter (D) | |
 | Anna Wilding (D) | |
 | Larry Thompson (R) | |
 | Douglas Smith (No party preference) | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Orissa Ishii (D)
- Wyatt Karem (D)
- Mia Phillips (D)
- Jake Rakov (D)
Endorsements
Lin received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Marena Lin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lin's responses.
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I am a product of CA-32. I was born and raised here and came up through the public school system. Both my grandmothers were illiterate and given away as children, and I am one of three doctorates in science and engineering among my siblings. I am an example of the American Dream.
In supporting my family through health crises, I've been through every phone-tree for Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Covered CA. I've dealt with hours-long waits at the Social Security office. I supported my parents through the Porter Ranch Gas Leak.
Unlike my opponents, I wasn't born into politics, and I am not bound by special interests. I'm running a fully grassroots campaign because I've experienced the local problems that Congress is meant to solve, and I've had great success as an ordinary citizen. In 2019, I helped release an ICE detainee who then won his asylum case. During the pandemic, I co-founded an award-winning food security nonprofit that delivered over 400 tons of food to families in need in the Boston area. We continue that work today.
I've seen exactly what it's like to solve a problem when no one else thinks we need saving.
I've fought alongside you. Now, I want to fight for you in Washington.- Affordability starts with job security. In a district where the median income is $110K and the mean is $177K, families still struggle. I’ve been a member of three UAW locals and helped found one against a multi-million-dollar union-busting campaign by multi-billionaire Harvard University; I will protect labor through the PRO Act. I’ll expand housing via the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, fund HUD’s Continuum of Care, and expand vouchers. I’ll fight to reverse OBBBA healthcare cuts and for Medicare for All. I will lead the fight to abolish ICE and detention centers. I will conduct unannounced oversight visits and use appropriations riders to defund these facilities, redirecting billions back into healthcare, Medi-Cal, and SNAP.
- My foreign policy is rooted in the morality of peace and the strategic use of soft power through USAID. Global collaboration to address the growing challenges of climate change is overdue. I oppose the genocide in Palestine and all weapons transfers to Israel. I stand against the illegal and immoral escalation of conflict with Iran. The tens of billions currently allocated to foreign military aid and immigrant persecution belong back in our domestic social safety nets. We must shift our global footprint away from military interventionism and toward diplomatic engagement that prioritizes human rights over the military-industrial complex. Our resources should fund our communities' needs, not the destruction of others' abroad.
- As a climate scientist and software engineer, I will fight for a Green New Deal that addresses the dual threats of climate change and AI’s impact on jobs. District 32 is uniquely vulnerable—from wildfires to nuclear contamination at Santa Susana and the Porter Ranch gas leak. Corporations find it cheaper to pollute than follow the law; I’ll raise penalty caps so fines exceed profits, fund EPA enforcement, and require full remediation at corporate expense. To ensure our future isn't sold to the highest bidder, we must overturn Citizens United and end the era of corporate personhood. Environmental compliance is a legal obligation, not a business decision. I will ensure our district is resilient and our democracy is restored.
Whether it’s Social Security or an ICE case, my office will serve everyone in this district. I will be accountable only to my constituents, not the special interests funding wars and corporate polluters.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 23, 2026
