CA-28 primary: Who will advance?

April Verlato's campaign significantly outpaces Peter Roybal's in fundraising. The final FEC pre-primary campaign finance reports for the first quarter of 2026 indicate a considerable financial disparity between Democratic challenger April Verlato and candidate Peter Roybal in California's 28th Congressional District race. Verlato's campaign reported raising $51,000 and disbursed $11,000 during this reporting period ^[1]. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, Verlato's campaign concluded with $72,000 cash on hand ^[1].

Peter Roybal's campaign shows negligible financial activity, highlighting a resource gap. In stark contrast to Verlato, Peter Roybal, also a candidate for the 28th Congressional District ^[2], reported negligible fundraising during the same period ^[1]. This indicates a substantial difference in late-stage spending power and overall resources for the June 2 primary election ^[1].

Precise mail-in ballot turnout by party in CA-28 is not publicly available. Exact turnout percentages for registered Republicans versus registered Democrats, specifically for returned mail-in ballots in California's 28th Congressional District (CA-28) during only the final week before an election, are not directly calculable or readily available from publicly provided sources. While official county records and specialized data vendors track various metrics, this granular detail for a specific timeframe and district is typically not published in general public reports.

Los Angeles County's public data offers broad, not specific, voter statistics. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) provides official voter information and cumulative ballot return data ^[1]. However, their public dashboards and reports generally offer broader statistics, such as overall voter turnout or total mail-in ballots returned county-wide. They do not typically provide disaggregated mail-in ballot returns by party registration for a specific congressional district within a narrow, pre-election window. Extracting such specific data often requires custom queries or specialized access not available through general public web pages.

Commercial data vendors offer granular data, but require paid access. Political Data Inc. (PDI) is a vendor known for providing highly detailed voter data and ballot tracking services used by campaigns ^[2]. While PDI's services are capable of generating reports with the specific turnout percentages requested (i.e., returned ballots by party, for a specific district and timeframe), access to this granular level of detail is typically part of their paid subscription services or specialized reports, not freely accessible through general public links like those provided ^[3].

Peter Roybal's campaign has not secured explicit support from major institutional groups. The official Republican party apparatus does not appear to be actively endorsing or providing dedicated resources to his campaign for California's 28th Congressional District ^[1]. Research indicates no significant partisan or non-partisan organizations are listed as committing meaningful resources or offering endorsements to Roybal ^[1].

April Verlato has garnered significant backing from prominent progressive and labor organizations capable of mobilizing voters. She has received an endorsement from the Inland Empire Labor Council, AFL-CIO, an influential labor organization recognized for its grassroots efforts and resource allocation ^[2]. Additionally, Verlato is endorsed by Equality California, a leading LGBTQ+ civil rights organization actively involved in supporting candidates and voter outreach ^[4]. Her campaign website and Ballotpedia confirm these endorsements, also noting support from Congresswoman Katie Porter ^[3]. These endorsements highlight Verlato's ability to secure dedicated get-out-the-vote efforts and other substantial resources from these groups.

Specific Google Trends data for candidates was not available. Research could not provide specific Google Trends search interest data for Peter Roybal and April Verlato within the Los Angeles media market for the 30 days leading up to the primary. Consequently, a comparative analysis of their search interest, which would include any late or sustained spikes indicative of rising name recognition or voter engagement, could not be performed based on the information gathered.

Contextual information on the election and candidates is accessible. Details regarding California's 28th Congressional District election in 2026, including a scheduled June 2 top-two primary, are available ^[1]. April Verlato is identified as a challenger for the U.S. House ^[2], with her campaign website offering information on her background and platform ^[3]. Information about Peter Roybal is also accessible ^[4]. Despite the availability of this general information, the critical Google Trends data necessary for a comparative analysis remains absent.

April Verlato is a Republican, not a Democrat, correcting initial assumptions regarding her candidacy. Verlato successfully advanced to the general election in California's 28th Congressional District in 2024 ^[1]. Peter Roybal is a Democrat ^[2], and he challenged incumbent Democratic Representative Judy Chu ^[3]. Consequently, the premise that Verlato was vying to be a "Democratic alternative" to Chu is incorrect due to her actual party affiliation.

April Verlato strategically consolidated the Republican vote in the primary. In California's top-two primary system, where the two candidates with the most votes advance regardless of party, April Verlato, as the sole Republican in the 2024 primary, focused her campaign on appealing to voters looking for an alternative to the district's strong Democratic presence ^[1]. This strategy proved effective in securing her spot in the general election ^[1].

Peter Roybal sought differentiation from Chu; Verlato offered partisan contrast. As a Democrat challenging an incumbent Democrat, Roybal's campaign strategy would have involved distinguishing himself from Judy Chu to attract a segment of Democratic or independent voters, not consolidating the entire Republican vote ^[2]. Similarly, April Verlato, being a Republican, would not have focused her efforts on Roybal to position herself as a "viable Democratic alternative" to Chu; instead, her messaging would align with Republican principles, offering a partisan contrast ^[1].