Ted Lieu

Ted Lieu represents a quintessential affluent coastal Democratic seat: CA-36 is D+37, gives Democrats 68.7% of the vote, and is ideologically secure enough that his real politics run through issue positioning, not general-election survival. The district’s defining feature is its high-cost, highly educated, globally oriented electorate—median income is $130,594, median home value tops $1,538,700, and Asian voters make up 18.6% of the population—creating a constituency that is socially liberal, institutionally engaged, and attentive to both foreign policy and governance questions.

For advocates, this is a persuasion target on substance, not partisan conversion. Housing affordability is the clearest local pressure point in a district where wealth is high but cost burdens are relentless, while Lieu’s Judiciary and Foreign Affairs profile means messages tied to rule of law, democracy, tech accountability, national security, and U.S. alliances will land best. The strategic opening is to frame campaigns as protecting quality of life and competent government for upscale renters, homeowners, and professional-class voters who expect progressive outcomes delivered with managerial credibility.