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No endorsement · Lean Goldsmith
The race
One Senate seat is at stake. The seat is open. Incumbent Ben Allen (D) is not on the general ballot — Incumbent Ben Allen (D) did not file for re-election (retiring incumbents list). Both general-election candidates are Democrats (top-two primary). California uses a top-two primary: the two highest finishers advance to the general election regardless of party, which is why some districts below show two candidates of the same party and no candidate of the other. The confirmed general-election roster, per Ballotpedia — California State Senate elections, 2026 (roster strength: compilation (Ballotpedia)), is: John Erickson (D); Brian Goldsmith (D). No district partisan baseline is printed because none was verified at this sourcing depth — we do not invent one.
Competitiveness and record notes, sourced: this is an open seat and a Democrat-vs.-Democrat general election under the top-two primary. IVN reports West Hollywood Councilmember John Erickson finished first in June with 20.5 percent and media consultant Brian Goldsmith second with 18.3 percent; two Republicans split their party's vote and neither advanced. IVN reports California DSA recommends Erickson as the field's leading progressive, while Goldsmith — a journalist and first-time candidate who raised more than $2 million, more than anyone else in the primary — is backed by Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Antonio Villaraigosa, Rick Caruso, and the Teamsters. About 199,320 of the district's 665,754 voters belong to neither major party, and IVN calls this potentially the state's most expensive legislative contest this year. A DSA recommendation is an endorsement cluster, not personal-program proof: neither candidate is classified extremist on this record.
The candidates, claim by claim
John Erickson (D) — former incumbent's seat is open; this candidate is a general-election nominee, on the confirmed general ballot per Ballotpedia — California State Senate elections, 2026.
Pros: Offers voters the Democratic program in this district and, where an incumbent, a record of service in the seat. Cons: No documented break with the Democratic Party toward this publication's values was located — no Manchin-test break. A reliable party-line vote advances a program we oppose. The flaw, plainly: Enabler class, not extremist — a reliable party-line vote, which is the standing reason the exception for a Democrat is not earned here.
Brian Goldsmith (D) — former incumbent's seat is open; this candidate is a general-election nominee, on the confirmed general ballot per Ballotpedia — California State Senate elections, 2026.
Pros: Offers voters the Democratic program in this district and, where an incumbent, a record of service in the seat. Cons: No documented break with the Democratic Party toward this publication's values was located — no Manchin-test break. A reliable party-line vote advances a program we oppose. The flaw, plainly: Enabler class, not extremist — a reliable party-line vote, which is the standing reason the exception for a Democrat is not earned here.
OUR CALL
No endorsement — lean Brian Goldsmith. Both candidates are Democrats, so caucus math is heavy in the Senate and neither earns an endorsement without a Manchin-test break — none was located for either. Between the two, Goldsmith is the mainstream, establishment-backed candidate and Erickson is the DSA-recommended progressive; on our values the lean goes to Goldsmith. No endorsement.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sources
- Ballotpedia — California State Senate elections, 2026 — general-election roster, incumbency, and open-seat status (roster strength: compilation (Ballotpedia)) — https://ballotpedia.org/California_State_Senate_elections,_2026
- IVN, "15 Races Where Democratic Socialists Can Reshape California Politics" (Oct. 8, 2026) — Senate District 24 primary shares, endorsements, registration — https://ivn.us/15-races-where-democratic-socialists-can-reshape-california-politics/
- Ballotpedia, Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report, Vol. 16, 2026 — California 2026: 88 of 100 seats contested by both major parties; Senate competitiveness index 32.8, Assembly 17.9 — https://ballotpedia.org/Annual_State_Legislative_Competitiveness_Report:_Vol._16,_2026
- Record gaps: no detailed legislative voting record, biography beyond the roster and the notes sourced above, campaign-finance figures, or district partisan baseline were verified for the candidates in this district at this sourcing depth; no California Secretary of State certified general list in usable form was located (see research file), so the roster stands at compilation strength
- Standing check: no pedophile-association material meeting the proven standard (knowing association with or defense of a convicted pedophile) was located for any candidate on this ballot
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.
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