Pasadena residents head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to choose their representative in California's 28th Congressional District. Incumbent Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat first elected in 2009, faces Republican April Verlato, a former Arcadia mayor and attorney.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As we reported Sunday, Pasadena has 15 vote centers open for in-person voting.

The candidates

Chu, 73, lives in Monterey Park and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, according to a San Gabriel Valley Tribune questionnaire published in October. Before Congress, she served as a state Assembly member, a Monterey Park city councilmember and mayor, and a member of the California State Board of Equalization.

Verlato, a Republican and attorney, previously served as mayor of Arcadia, according to the Daily News.

The two faced each other in 2024. Chu won that race with 75.8% of the vote to Verlato's 24.2%, according to Grokipedia.

What's at stake

The district spans the San Gabriel Valley, including Pasadena, Monterey Park, Arcadia, Alhambra, San Gabriel and Temple City. Mid-cycle redistricting, which California voters approved in 2025, changed the district's boundaries. The Daily News reported that CA-28 retained core communities on its western portion but lost areas to the east, including Claremont.

Eaton Fire recovery has dominated the race. In her Tribune questionnaire, Chu called it the top issue, noting that 6,000 homes burned and half had not started the rebuilding process. She said the typical homeowner faces a $500,000 rebuilding gap and two out of three survivors had not returned home.

Chu pointed to a bill she supported, H.R. 5366, which President Donald Trump signed into law. The measure excludes qualifying Eaton Fire settlement payments from federal income tax, Pasadena Now reported Nov. 2.

Verlato's policy positions were not available in the sources reviewed for this article.

How to get results

The California Secretary of State's website will begin posting results after polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Results will be updated throughout election night and in the days that follow as counties count remaining ballots. Official certified results are expected by Dec. 11.

Voters who missed the Oct. 19 registration deadline can use same-day voter registration at any in-person voting location through Election Day, according to the Secretary of State's office.