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Jay Obernolte

U.S. House · CA-23 · Republicans · since 2025

also

Candidate for U.S. House · CA-23

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Biography

Overview

Jay Obernolte is a Republican U.S. Representative from California's 23rd district, serving since 2021. Before Congress, he was a member of the California State Assembly (2014-2020) and mayor of Big Bear Lake. He is an engineer by training with a degree from Caltech and a master's in artificial intelligence from UCLA. Obernolte is the owner and technical director of FarSight Studios, an independent video game developer founded in 1990.

Career

In Congress, Obernolte's major legislative achievements include his Fellowship and Traineeship for Early Career AI Researchers Act and Next Generation Computing Research and Development Act, which were included in bipartisan NSF and Department of Energy science bills. His first standalone bill (H.R. 3533) created occupational series for federal tech positions. Since 2024, he co-chairs a bipartisan artificial intelligence task force with Representative Ted Lieu. He was elected Freshman Class Representative to the House Republican Policy Committee in 2021 and chairs the House Republican Policy Committee as of the 119th Congress.

Prior political experience

Obernolte won his 2020 U.S. House race with 56.1% of the vote, defeating Democrat Chris Bubser. Before Congress, he was elected to the California State Assembly in 2014 with 65.9% in the general election and re-elected in 2016 with 60.6%. In his Assembly races, he started in the June primary (finishing second in 2014 with 18.89%, then first in 2016 with 60.7%) before winning the November general elections by comfortable margins.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress+0.314

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
+0.293
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 343 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
2ndU.S. House CA-232025–presentIn progressJay Obernolte—
1stU.S. House CA-232023–2025Term ended—Jay Obernolte
1stU.S. House CA-82021–2023Term endedNancy PelosiJohn Garamendi

Committee assignments

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
2024U.S. House CA-8Won56.06%