Fil-Am candidates win seats as more US midterm election results roll in - GMA Network

NEW YORK — Filipino American candidates secured victories in congressional and state races across several states in the November 3, 2026, US midterm elections, while others led local contests as ballot counting continued.

At least six Filipino American candidates have been reported as winners or projected winners in Virginia, California, Nevada, North Carolina and Tennessee. The preliminary tally does not represent a complete nationwide count.

In Virginia, Democratic Representative Robert "Bobby" Scott won reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, securing his 18th consecutive term in the US House of Representatives. Scott, whose maternal grandfather came from the Philippines, is recognized as the first voting member of Congress with Filipino ancestry.

In California, Rob Bonta won another term as attorney general, defeating Republican challenger Michael Gates and extending his tenure as the state's first attorney general of Filipino descent.

Fellow Democrat Jessica Caloza, the first Filipina elected to the California Legislature, won reelection in Assembly District 52.

Mark Pulido, a Cerritos councilmember and former mayor, also led the race for Assembly District 67.

In Nevada, Erica Mosca, the state's first Filipina legislator, was listed as the winner of her reelection bid in Assembly District 14.

In North Carolina, Filipino American Representative Maria Cervania won reelection in House District 41, defeating Republican Bruce Forster.

In Tennessee, Representative Justin Jones, who has Black and Filipino ancestry, won another term representing House District 52.

Additional Filipino American candidates were leading city council races in California. They included Ollie Cantos and Letty Lopez in West Covina and Ditas Yamane in National City.

Melissa Ramoso was among the top vote-getters in Artesia's city council contest.

In Hawaii, partial official returns showed Joy San Buenaventura and Rachele Lamosao ahead in state Senate races, while Greggor Ilagan, Shirley Ann Templo, Diamond Garcia and Darius Kila led their respective state House contests.

Candidates of Filipino ancestry also recorded electoral successes in the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

In Guam, Filipino American Shelly Vargas Calvo secured a place among the 15 winning candidates for the territorial Legislature, according to unofficial returns. Calvo received 11,428 votes. Guam's legislators are called senators, but they serve in the territorial Legislature, which is separate from the US Senate.

In the Northern Mariana Islands, four incumbent lawmakers with documented Filipino ancestry held winning positions in their respective races: Jude Untalan Hofschneider for the Senate seat representing Tinian; Ralph N. Yumul for the House of Representatives representing Saipan; Daniel Iwashita Aquino Jr. for the House seat representing Saipan Precinct 2; and Angelo Camacho for the House seat representing Saipan Precinct 5.

Their family roots trace to Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Quezon City.

Another candidate of Filipino ancestry, Michael Evangelista, was positioned to advance to a runoff in the Northern Mariana Islands attorney general race.

The nationwide tally of Filipino American winners could increase as election officials count remaining ballots and additional races are called. — VDV, GMA News