Candidates to Meet Ahead of Election in Newly Expanded 4th Congressional District
WOODLAND, Calif. (Woodland Times) — Voters in California’s newly expanded 4th Congressional District will have an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates this fall when incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Democratic challenger Eric Jones participate in a candidate event from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Woodland Community & Senior Center. The Woodland event comes as the two campaigns continue to differ over how many debates should be held before Election Day, reflecting the changing political landscape created by the district’s recent redistricting.
Top areas covered in this article:
Oct. 8 Woodland candidate forum details
Debate schedule between Mike Thompson and Eric Jones
How redistricting reshaped California’s 4th Congressional District
The district’s political makeup and counties represented
The role of candidate forums during the election campaign
Debate Schedule Becomes Campaign Issue
The discussion over campaign debates emerged after first-time congressional candidate Eric Jones challenged Thompson to participate in a series of debates throughout the district. Jones proposed nine debates—one in each of the district’s nine counties—along with an additional televised forum, arguing that the district’s newly added voters deserve more opportunities to compare the candidates.
Thompson later announced he would participate in two public events with Jones before the election. Those include the League of Women Voters of Yolo County event in Woodland and a candidate forum hosted by the Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau in Yuba City, one of the counties added to the district through the latest congressional redistricting.
According to Thompson’s campaign, the incumbent and Jones previously appeared together in 11 debates and candidate forums during the campaign leading up to the June primary election. The campaign said the Woodland and Yuba City events will provide additional opportunities for residents to hear directly from the candidates and ask questions about issues affecting the district.
Jones has continued to advocate for a broader debate schedule, arguing that the significantly expanded district warrants more direct engagement between the candidates before voters cast their ballots.
District Expanded Under New Congressional Maps
The debate discussion comes after California’s 4th Congressional District underwent significant boundary changes through the state’s congressional redistricting process.
The district now stretches from Napa Valley through Yolo County and into portions of the Sacramento Valley. It includes a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities across nine counties, incorporating conservative counties such as Sutter, Yuba and Colusa while continuing to include Democratic-leaning areas in Napa and Yolo counties.
Before the new district boundaries took effect, the congressional district covered five counties. The expansion to nine counties has increased both its geographic size and the diversity of communities represented, making campaigning across the district more challenging for candidates.
Although additional conservative areas were added during redistricting, political analysts have generally continued to view the district as leaning Democratic based on its overall voter registration and election history.
Woodland Forum Offers Opportunity for Local Voters
The Woodland event is expected to give Yolo County residents an opportunity to hear each candidate discuss issues affecting Northern California, including agriculture, water resources, transportation, public safety, economic development and federal policy.
Candidate forums hosted by civic organizations such as the League of Women Voters have long served as a nonpartisan setting where voters can hear candidates answer questions and explain their positions ahead of elections.
Thompson Seeks Another Term
Mike Thompson has represented Northern California in Congress for more than two decades, first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. Throughout his tenure, he has focused on issues including veterans’ services, wildfire prevention, agriculture, healthcare and gun violence prevention.
As district boundaries have evolved through successive rounds of California’s independent redistricting process, Thompson has continued to represent a large portion of the North State and Wine Country region while adapting to newly incorporated communities.
The 2026 election marks another chapter in that evolving district, with candidates working to introduce themselves to voters across a broader geographic area than in previous election cycles.
Looking Ahead
The Oct. 8 forum in Woodland is expected to be one of the highest-profile candidate events in Yolo County before the general election. Along with the planned forum in Yuba City, it will provide voters with opportunities to compare the candidates as campaigning intensifies across California’s 4th Congressional District.
