Lantern Vote’s 2026 Election Guide — Voter ratings for 16 competitive races in AAPI Districts

Race scorecards

Individual scoring for each district: contains both candidates' grading on critical issues as well as the AAPI presence and competitiveness. The full matrix presents a full view of all 16 races.

Race 01 of 16CA-45U.S. House, California

~1/3 of registered voters; largest Vietnamese community · Likely D (Cook)View scorecard

Race 02 of 16CA-40U.S. House, California

19% Asian residents · R-vs-RView scorecard

Race 03 of 16NV-03U.S. House, Nevada

14% Asian citizen adults (2022); separate statewide estimate · Likely D (Cook)View scorecard

Race 04 of 16VA-10U.S. House, Virginia

~15.5% non-Hispanic Asian residents (2024) · Solid D (Cook)View scorecard

Race 05 of 16IL-08U.S. House, Illinois

~13.8% non-Hispanic Asian residents (2024) · Solid D; open seatView scorecard

Race 06 of 16GA SenateU.S. Senate, Georgia

196,210 AAPI registered voters · CompetitiveView scorecard

Race 07 of 16WA-03U.S. House, Washington

3.7% Asian residents, lowest in guide · Lean D (Cook)View scorecard

Race 08 of 16WA-08U.S. House, Washington

~11.0% non-Hispanic Asian residents (2024) · Solid D (Cook)View scorecard

Race 09 of 16NY SD-17State Senate, New York

48.56% non-Hispanic Asian residents (2022 map stats) · Toss-upView scorecard

Race 10 of 16GA SD-48State Senate, Georgia

31.4% non-Hispanic Asian · Lean RView scorecard

Race 11 of 16TX HD-26State House, Texas

~20% of county eligible voters · R-leaningView scorecard

Race 12 of 16TX HD-27State House, Texas

~20% of county eligible voters · Safe DView scorecard

Race 13 of 16CA GovernorGovernor, California

~1 in 6 Californians are Asian American · Open seat; Solid DView scorecard

Race 14 of 16CA SD-36State Senate, California

Little Saigon anchor; Westminster and Garden Grove · Lean RView scorecard

Race 15 of 16CA AD-70State House, California

39.16% Asian residents (2020 map stats) · CompetitiveView scorecard

Race 16 of 16WA SD-30State Senate, Washington

Federal Way 15.4% Asian (ACS 2024 5-year); large Korean community · Solid DView scorecard

Red and gold lanterns hanging from a temple ceiling

Photo: Ng Jing Xuan / Unsplash

How to read the ratings

Rating rubric, applied identically to every candidate at every level of office. Party affiliation does not factor into any rating.

★★★★★ 5 · ChampionedPersonal leadership sustained across multiple years/actions or producing a substantive implemented result.

★★★★☆ 4 · SupportiveA specific supportive position or action on the issue.

★★★☆☆ 3 · Mixed / limitedMixed supportive and contrary actions, or clear but limited/indirect support.

★★☆☆☆ 2 · Leaning againstIndicators of opposition to solutions surrounding the issue, such as negative floor votes or public statements.

★☆☆☆☆ 1 · OpposedClear opposition towards the issue's advancement, such as active championing of restrictive or contrary legislation/statements.

NR · No recordLack of reliable indicators on the public record. May have some vague statements but no clear indicators.

Yellow chrysanthemums with red Lunar New Year wish banners

Photo: @mike / Unsplash

Critical Issues

The five issues we used to grade candidates, all critical to the AAPI community

Immigration & Visas

Positions and votes on employment visas (H-1B), the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 (H.R. 8443), detention and enforcement bills, and pathways to legal status.

Zoning & Neighborhoods

Land-use and development records as they affect historic AAPI neighborhoods (Ex: Little Saigon, Las Vegas Chinatown, Bensonhurst, Fort Bend, Johns Creek and Federal Way), plus each district's local flashpoint, named in the race notes.

Education

School funding and vouchers, exam-based admissions (New York's 1971 Hecht-Calandra Act), and AANHPI history curricula (federal H.R. 3551; Illinois' 2021 TEAACH Act; California's 2024 AB 1805 on Mendez v. Westminster curriculum content).

Language Access

Multilingual government services and ballots such as the Language Access for All Act of 2026 (H.R. 7223) and responses to the March 2025 English-official executive order.

Justice & Hate Crimes

Anti-AAPI hate-crime legislation (COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act of 2021), policing policy, and statements after anti-Asian incidents.