Eric Shaw for Congress

Candidate Overview

My actions will mirror your voices.

Eric Shaw is running for the United States House of Representatives in California's 48th Congressional District in the June 2, 2026 jungle primary. He is a 12-year Temecula resident, local business owner, husband, and father who is running because CA-48 deserves a representative who actually lives here, listens here, and fights for the people here.

Eric is not a career politician. He is a neighbor. He built his career in the private sector as a digital marketing executive, not in government. He is running because the families of this district have been asking for someone who will put them first, and he believes that person should come from this community.

He is the only candidate in this race based in Temecula, at the geographic center of the new CA-48 district. That is not a coincidence. It is a statement about who this campaign belongs to.

Eric's campaign is built on a simple promise: principled leadership. Not Republican versus Democrat. Not Left or Right. Forward. Just a neighbor who believes representation should be earned through action, not handed out by political insiders.

Biography

Short Bio (50 words)

Eric Shaw is a 12-year Temecula resident, entrepreneur, and first-time congressional candidate running for California's 48th Congressional District. A local minority business owner, youth sports coach, and husband, Eric is running on a platform of affordability, water security, public safety, and Tribal sovereignty. Primary: June 2, 2026.

Medium Bio (150 words)

Eric Shaw is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 48th Congressional District because his community is asking for a representative who actually lives here and fights for the people here.

A 12-year Temecula resident, Eric built his career in digital marketing and entrepreneurship, creating economic opportunity in the private sector. He is a husband, a youth flag football coach, and a hands-on community member who has watched this district go underrepresented for too long.

Eric is the only candidate in this race based in Temecula, at the geographic center of the new CA-48. He is running on four core priorities: the affordability crisis hitting working families, water security as Colorado River agreements expire this year, public safety for every neighborhood, and full partnership with the Tribal nations of this district. His promise is simple: his actions will mirror the voices of the people he represents.

Full Biography

Eric Shaw did not decide to run for Congress because politics was calling him. He ran because his community was calling him.

For more than 12 years, Eric has called Temecula home. He has raised his family here, built his business here, and invested in this community the way neighbors do, not the way politicians do. He coaches youth flag football leagues for kids at the 10U, 12U, and middle school levels in Temecula. He sat in the stands. He knew the families. He understood what was at stake for the people around him.

Eric's professional career is rooted in digital marketing. He founded and operates a digital advertising business that serves both advertisers and publishers, building economic relationships and creating opportunity in the private sector. He has never held political office and he does not see that as a gap in his resume. He sees it as the point.

When California's new 48th Congressional District was drawn, Eric looked at the map and saw something no one else in the race could say: he lived at its geographic center. Temecula sits at the heart of CA-48, connecting the communities of Murrieta, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hemet, Palm Springs, and the Tribal nations of San Diego and Riverside counties. Eric is the only candidate in this race who can say he is from here, has been here, and will fight from the ground up for the people who live here. He is also the only African American candidate in this race, and if elected, he will make history as the first African American to represent CA-48 in Congress.

His platform reflects the district he lives in. Working families are squeezed by an affordability crisis that is not abstract. It is the grocery bill. It is the rent. It is the gas pump. It is the small business that cannot absorb one more cost increase. The Colorado River operating agreements expire in 2026, threatening water supply for families, farmers, and Tribal nations across the eastern corridor. WaterSMART funding was nearly eliminated by the current administration.

Eric Shaw is running on principled leadership. Not Republican versus Democrat. Not performance for a base. Real representation for the people of CA-48, earned through action.

He is married to his wife Diane, who shares his commitment to the community and his belief that this district deserves something better.

Platform & Policy Positions

People over politics. That is not a slogan. That is how I will vote.

Affordability Crisis

The number one issue facing families in CA-48 is the cost of living. Groceries, gas, housing, and healthcare costs have outpaced wages for years. Tariffs are making it worse right now. I will fight against trade policies that punish working families, push for housing supply expansion, support middle class tax relief, and hold refiners accountable for price gouging at the pump. I will also push to end the foreign wars that drain our treasury and drive energy costs up. The affordability crisis is not a future problem. It is the problem my family and families of CA-48 face at the kitchen table tonight.

Water Security

The Colorado River operating agreements expire in 2026. This is the single most consequential federal issue for the eastern half of our district. Families, farmers, and Tribal nations will either have water or they will not, depending on what gets negotiated in Washington. I will pursue a seat on the Natural Resources Committee from day one, fight to restore WaterSMART funding that was nearly eliminated entirely, and make sure CA-48 has a seat at the table for every negotiation. Clean, affordable water is not a political issue. It is a survival issue.

Public Safety

Real public safety means more than enforcement. It means mental health crisis response, addiction treatment, community policing built on trust, and domestic violence resources that are actually funded. I will support community-based public safety investments, fund school safety and anti-bullying programs for every kid in the district, and push back against approaches that criminalize poverty while leaving communities less safe. Safety and justice are not opposites. They work together.

Tribal Sovereignty

The 18 federally recognized Tribal Nations in CA-48 are not stakeholders to be consulted at the end of a process. They are sovereign nations with senior water rights, deep community roots, and a track record of being left out of the decisions that affect them most. The original 1922 Colorado River Compact was negotiated without a single Tribal nation at the table. That ends with my representation. I will fight for full Tribal inclusion in water negotiations, support Tribal economic development, and honor sovereignty in practice, not just in principle.

Small Business & Economic Opportunity

Small businesses are the backbone of CA-48. Two thirds of California small business owners say tariffs have hurt them. Workforce shortages are real. Regulatory compliance costs are rising. I will support expanded SBA lending, fight for apprenticeship and workforce training funding, push back on regulations that crush small operators while large corporations absorb the cost, and advocate for federal procurement opportunities that give CA-48 businesses a real shot at government contracts.

Healthcare

Every family in CA-48 deserves access to a doctor, not just an emergency room. I will support expanding federally qualified health centers in underserved communities, protect coverage for low income families, and work to make prescription drugs and healthcare costs manageable for working people. Healthcare access is not a luxury. It is a human right.

Veterans & Military Families

CA-48 borders some of the most significant military communities in Southern California. Military families are facing a food insecurity crisis that most people do not know about. More than one in four active duty families experience food insecurity. I will fight for veterans benefits, military family support programs, and the resources that ensure the people who protect this country can afford to feed their own families. I will vigorously fight to make sure our military gets paid during Government shutdowns.

LGBT Rights & Civil Rights

The safety and dignity of every person in CA-48 is non-negotiable. I support full LGBT protections under federal law, enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Every person in this district deserves equal protection, equal opportunity, and a representative who will fight for them without qualification.

Clean Energy & Climate

California's clean energy direction is correct. My job in Washington is to fund it and protect it. I support clean energy investment that creates local jobs in solar, wind, and battery storage with a priority on making sure those jobs go to workers in CA-48. I will oppose EPA rollbacks that harm communities near agricultural corridors in our district who are already feeling the effects of weakened enforcement. Clean energy is an economic opportunity and an environmental obligation. I will treat it as both.

Endorsements & Community Support

Eric Shaw's campaign is built on community. Request a list of supporters, endorsers, and community partners. This list is updated regularly.

To submit an endorsement or letter of support, please contact [email protected].

Volunteer & Grassroots Support

Eric's campaign is powered by volunteers from across CA-48. If you would like to volunteer, host an event, or display a yard sign, visit ericshawforcongress.com/volunteer or call 951-290-0384.