U.S. Representative
Jim Costa
California District 21
DemocratModerate Liberal
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 agriculture#3 budget#4 other#5 banking finance
204
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
-0.20Moderate Liberal
Jim Costa is a moderate liberal Democrat whose voting record places him closer to the center than most members of his party. His NOMINATE score of -0.199 indicates he occupies a centrist position within the Democratic caucus, often taking more conservative stances than the party average of -0.380.
LiberalModerateConservative
Democrat avg
More conservative than the average Democrat (-0.38)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
204
total votes analyzed
Overview
Representative Jim Costa serves California in the U.S. House as a Democrat who frequently bridges traditional party lines. His voting patterns suggest a pragmatic approach to legislation, particularly on issues affecting his agricultural Central Valley district. Costa's voting record shows particular engagement with healthcare and agricultural policy, reflecting both national Democratic priorities and the specific economic interests of his constituents. His higher 'yea' rate on agriculture and budget matters (59%) compared to other categories suggests he prioritizes fiscal and farming issues. His positioning as more conservative than the average Democrat manifests in selective support for Republican procedural motions and occasional breaks from party-line votes. This pattern is consistent with representing a politically competitive district where constituent interests may not always align with national party positions.
Key Positions
- •Moderate stance on healthcare legislation with selective support
- •Strong engagement on agricultural policy matters
- •Willingness to break from party on procedural votes
- •Support for budget and fiscal measures at higher rates than other categories
- •Generally opposes majority party procedural motions (Previous Question votes)
By Policy Area
Healthcare111
50% yea50% nay
Agriculture29
59% yea41% nay
Budget & Spending29
59% yea41% nay
Other10
60% yea40% nay
Banking & Finance10
50% yea50% nay
Defense6
67% yea33% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $19.6M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$527K
40%
PAC / Committees$797K
60%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$516K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$11K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$13K · 2%
$200 – 499
$12K · 2%
$500 – 999
$72K · 14%
$1,000 – 1,999
$159K · 31%
$2,000+
$264K · 51%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (CA)$407K · 80%
Out-of-state$103K · 20%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
CA
$407K
NY
$25K
DC
$22K
TX
$11K
MD
$8K
VA
$6K
MA
$4K
NJ
$4K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
SELF-EMPLOYED$73K
N/A$54K
NULL$32K
COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEM$10K
PACHULSKI, STANG, ZIEHL & JONES$10K
ROLL GLOBAL, LLC$7K
HACKMAN CAPITAL PARTNERS$7K
FORHAN COMPANY$7K
JOSEPH GALLO FARMS$7K
THE PENSTARGROUP$7K
KALSHI$7K
FAGUNDES DAIRY$7K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Materials
$288K
Other / Uncategorized
$276K
Advertising
$14K
Administrative
$12K
Refunds
$9K
Fundraising
$6K
Contributions
$2K
Travel
$324.78
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$157K
MOLLY ALLEN ASSOCIATES, LLC
2.$106K
SEBASTO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
3.$95K
VISA
4.$28K
KATZ COMPLIANCE, LLC
5.$23K
NGP VAN INC
6.$18K
DAVID BINDER RESEARCH
7.$15K
DIEBERT, STEVEN D.
8.$12K
DIEBERT, STEVEN D
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$593K
Operating Offsets
$1K
Net Operating
$592K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$8K
Committee Refunds
$2K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$2.2M
Opposing
$3.9M
Total Outside Spending
$6.2M
Top Outside Spenders
01
$2.7MNATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
-$2.7M
02
$786KDEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
+$786K
03
$705KNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
+$705K
04
$676KCROSSROADS GRASSROOTS POLICY STRATEGIES
-$676K
05
$421KCENTRAL VALLEY INDEPENDENT PAC
-$421K
06
$310KCOOPERATIVE OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE
+$310K
07
$287KNO LABELS ACTION, INC.
+$287K
08
$168KCENTRAL VALLEY'S FUTURE
+$37K-$131K
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H4CA20082Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
189 votes across 12 categories