| State: | California |
| District Number: | 51 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since 2023 (Used in the 2022 elections) |
| English Area: | 4,896 |
| Metric Area: | 12,680 |
| Population: | 757,528[1] |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $100,357[2] |
| Percent White: | 45.7 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 25.0 |
| Percent Black: | 5.8 |
| Percent Asian: | 16.1 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 6.1 |
| Percent Other Race: | 1.3 |
| Cpvi: | D+12[3] |
California's 51st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by .The district currently includes central and eastern portions of San Diego, as well as eastern suburbs such as El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley, and Lemon Grove.
| Election results from statewide races | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results | |
| 1992 | President[4] | align=right | Bush 40.3% – 32.3% |
| Senator[5] | align=right | Herschensohn 52.1 – 38.2% | |
| Senator (Special) | align=right | Seymour 48.0% – 43.3% | |
| 1994 | Governor[6] | align=right | Wilson 69.1% - 27.0% |
| Senator[7] | Huffington 56.4% – 35.7% | ||
| 1996 | President[8] | align=right | Dole 51.7% – 38.5% |
| 1998 | Governor[9] | Lungren 52.7% – 43.9% | |
| Senator[10] | Fong 55.3% – 41.0% | ||
| 2000 | President[11] | align=right | Bush 55.2% – 40.5% |
| Senator[12] | align=right | Campbell 46.7% – 46.2% | |
| 2002 | Governor[13] | align=right | Davis 53.5% – 39.7% |
| 2003 | Recall[14] [15] | align="right" Yes 60.4% – 39.6% | |
| align=right | Schwarzenegger 48.8% – 36.4% | ||
| 2004 | President[16] | align=right | Kerry 53.4% – 45.7% |
| Senator[17] | align=right | Boxer 61.0% - 33.7% | |
| 2006 | Governor[18] | align=right | Schwarzenegger 51.6% – 43.1% |
| Senator[19] | align=right | Feinstein 62.6% – 32.2% | |
| 2008 | President[20] | align=right | Obama 63.1% – 35.5% |
| 2010 | Governor[21] | align=right | Brown 56.3% – 36.3% |
| Senator[22] | align=right | Boxer 55.5% – 37.4% | |
| 2012 | President[23] | align=right | Obama 69.4% – 28.9% |
| Senator[24] | align=right | Feinstein 70.1% - 29.9% | |
| 2014 | Governor[25] | Brown 66.2% – 33.8% | |
| 2016 | President[26] | align=right | Clinton 71.8% – 22.8% |
| Senator[27] | Sanchez 56.6% – 43.4% | ||
| 2018 | Governor[28] | Newsom 67.9% – 32.1% | |
| Lieutenant Governor[29] [30] | Hernandez 50.9% – 49.1% | ||
| Secretary of State[31] [32] | Padilla 72.5% – 27.5% | ||
| Controller[33] [34] | Yee 72.8% – 27.2% | ||
| Treasurer[35] [36] | Ma 71.6% – 28.4% | ||
| Attorney General[37] [38] | Becerra 71.6% – 28.4% | ||
| Insurance Commissioner[39] [40] | Lara 67.5% – 32.5% | ||
| Board of Equalization, 4th District[41] [42] | Schaefer 68.0% – 32.0% | ||
| Senator[43] | de León 51.6% – 48.4% | ||
| 2020 | President[44] | Biden 66.9% – 30.9% | |
| 2021 | Recall[45] | align="right" No 65.4% – 34.6% | |
| 2022 | Governor[46] | Newsom 59.5% – 40.5% | |
| Senator[47] | Padilla 61.2% – 38.8% | ||
| Senator (Special)[48] | Padilla 61.1% – 38.9% | ||
As of the 2020 redistricting, California's 51st congressional district is located in Southern California. It is almost entirely within the San Diego Metropolitan Area of San Diego County.
San Diego County is split between this district, the 50th district, the 48th district, and the 52nd district. The 51st and 48th are partitioned by Sabre Springs Openspace, Scripps Miramar Openspace, Beeler Canyon Rd, Sycamore Canyon Openspace, Weston Rd, Boulder Vis, Mast Blvd, West Hills Parkway, San Diego River, Highway 52, Simeon Dr, Mission Trails Openspace, Fanita Dr, Farmington Dr, Lund St, Nielsen St, Paseo de Los Castillos, Gillespie Air Field, Kenney St, San Vicente Freeway, Airport Dr, Wing Ave, W Bradley Ave, Vernon Way, Hart Dr, Greenfield Dr, E Bradley Ave, 830 Adele St-1789 N Mollison Ave, Peppervilla Dr/N Mollison Ave, Pepper Dr, Greta St/Cajon Greens Dr, N Mollison Ave/Buckey Dr, Denver Ln, Broadway Channel, N 2nd St, Flamingo Ave/Greenfield Dr, Dawnridge Ave/Cresthill Rd, Groveland Ter/Camillo Way, Sterling Dr, Kumeyaay Highway, E Madison Ave, Granite Hills Dr, E Lexington Ave, Dehesa Rd, Vista del Valle Blvd, Merritt Ter, E Washington Ave, Merritt Dr, Dewitt Ct, Emerald Heights Rd, Foote Path Way, Highway 8, Lemon Ave, Lake Helix Dr, La Cruz Dr, Carmichael Dr, Bancroft Dr, Campo Rd, and Sweetwater River.
The 51st and 50th are partitioned by Camino del Norte, Highway 15, Carmel Mountain Rd, Ted Williams Parkway, Del Mar Mesa Openspace, Los Penasquitos Creek, Inland Freeway, Governor Dr, Pavlov Ave, Stetson Ave, Millikin Ave, Regents Rd, Ducommun Ave, Bunch Ave, Branting St, Streseman St, Pennant Way, Highway 52, San Diego Freeway, Sea World Dr, Friars Rd, Kumeyaay Highway, and Highway 805.
The 51st and 52nd are partitioned by El Cajon Blvd, 58th St, Streamview Dr, College Ave, Meridian Ave, Lemarand Ave, Highway 94, Charlene Ave, 69th St, Imperial Ave, Larwood Rd, Taft St, Lincoln Pl, Glencoe Dr, Braddock St, Carlisle Dr, Carlsbad Ct/Osage Dr, Potrero St, Carlsbad St, Innsdale Ave, Worthington St/Innsdale Ln, Brady Ct/Innsdale Ln, Parkbrook Way/Alene St, Tinaja Ln/Bluffview Rd, Highway 54, Sweetwater Rd, and Bonita Rd.
The 51st district takes in the cities of El Cajon, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, and National City, as well as the census-designated place La Presa. It also encompasses the San Diego neighborhoods of Paradise Hills, Mira Mesa, Miramar, San Carlos, Sorrento, Clairemont, Normal Heights, Allied Gardens, Grantville, Balboa Park, Linda Vista, and Serra Mesa.
| Member | Party | Dates | Cong ress(es) | Electoral history | Counties | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created January 3, 1993 | |||||||||
| align=left | Duke Cunningham [49] | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Redistricted to the . | 1993–2003 Northern San Diego | |||
| align=left | Bob Filner | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2003 – December 3, 2012 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Resigned to become Mayor of San Diego. | 2003–2013 Imperial Eastern San Diego | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 3, 2012 – January 3, 2013 | |||||||
| align=left | Juan Vargas [50] | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2023 | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Redistricted to the . | 2013–2023 Imperial Southern San Diego | |||
| align=left | Sara Jacobs [51] | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2023 – present | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2022. | 2023–present: Central and eastern portions of San Diego, as well as eastern suburbs such as El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley, and Lemon Grove | |||
| align=center | 1992 • 1994 • 1996 • 1998 • 2000 • 2002 • 2004 • 2006 • 2008 • 2010 • 2012 • 2014 • 2016 • 2018 • 2020 • 2022 |
<---->
<----->
In the 1980s, California's 44th congressional district was one of four that divided San Diego. The district had been held for eight years by Democrat Jim Bates, and was considered the most Democratic district in the San Diego area. Randy "Duke" Cunningham won the Republican nomination and won the general election by just a point, meaning that the San Diego area was represented entirely by Republicans for only the second time since the city was split into three districts after the 1960 United States census.
After the 1990 United States census, the district was renumbered the 51st congressional district and much of its share of San Diego was moved to the new 50th congressional district.