U.S. Representative
Jay Obernolte
California District 23
RepublicanConservative
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 budget
40
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
0.32Conservative
Jay Obernolte is a conservative Republican who positions himself somewhat closer to the center compared to many of his party colleagues. His NOMINATE score of 0.315 places him notably more moderate than the Republican average of 0.520, suggesting he occasionally breaks from party orthodoxy on certain issues.
LiberalModerateConservative
Republican avg
More liberal than the average Republican (0.52)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
40
total votes analyzed
Overview
Representative Jay Obernolte serves California's high desert region in the U.S. House of Representatives. His voting record reflects conservative principles while demonstrating some independence from his party's more conservative wing. Obernolte's background includes experience in technology and business, which may inform his approach to policy. His voting patterns show consistent support for defense-related measures, with 100% support in that category, while showing more mixed positions on healthcare and budget matters. As a California Republican representing a largely rural district, Obernolte navigates the balance between his constituents' interests and national party positions. His relatively moderate positioning within the Republican conference suggests a pragmatic approach to legislating, though he still maintains core conservative positions on most issues.
Key Positions
- •Strong supporter of defense and military-related legislation
- •Generally opposes Democratic procedural motions and resolutions
- •Takes mixed positions on healthcare legislation
- •Supports some bipartisan measures under suspension of rules
- •More moderate than typical House Republican on aggregate voting
By Policy Area
Healthcare25
48% yea52% nay
Budget & Spending7
43% yea57% 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: $6.1M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$499K
37%
PAC / Committees$863K
63%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$497K
Small Dollar (<$200)
$1K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$3K · 0%
$200 – 499
$5K · 1%
$500 – 999
$51K · 9%
$1,000 – 1,999
$87K · 16%
$2,000+
$415K · 74%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (CA)$272K · 49%
Out-of-state$288K · 51%
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
$272K
DC
$81K
VA
$57K
TX
$47K
OR
$28K
MD
$14K
NV
$9K
NY
$9K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
NULL$131K
ANTHROPIC$28K
LIGHTHOUSE$21K
SELF EMPLOYED$20K
NONE$19K
ESRI$14K
ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ$14K
MEHLMAN CONSULTING$12K
INNOVATIVE FEDERAL STRATEGIES$12K
ANTHROPIC PBC$8K
ALIMETER CAPITOL$7K
ANDREESEN HOROWITZ$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
Other / Uncategorized
$673K
Contributions
$81K
Fundraising
$47K
Refunds
$7K
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$227K
GRAND VALLEY CONSULTING LLC
2.$130K
CHAINBRIDGE BANK
3.$100K
NO ON PROP 50 STOP SACRAMENTO
4.$80K
NRCC
5.$62K
MINUTEMAN PRESS
6.$41K
RKS STRATEGIES
7.$40K
PROFESSIONAL DATA SERVICES
8.$26K
CAPITOL HILL CLUB
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$621K
Operating Offsets
$571.33
Net Operating
$621K
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$7K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$418K
Opposing
$22K
Total Outside Spending
$440K
Top Outside Spenders
01
$383KPEOPLE FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE OF THE SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
+$383K
02
$32KFIX CONGRESS NOW!
+$32K
03
$22KEQUALITY CALIFORNIA VOTES
-$22K
04
$3KALLIANCE FOR PHARMACY COMPOUNDING PAC (COMP PAC)
+$3K
05
$157.29REFORM LEADERS PAC
+$157.29
06
$123.73PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES
-$123.73
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2026FEC: H0CA08135Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
35 votes across 6 categories