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Engineer Shane Lewis is running for the 18th District U.S. congressional seat against long-time incumbent Zoe Lofgren.
The 18th district congressional race will be among those featured at BenitoLink’s 2026 General Election Forum set for Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Granada Theater.
Zoe Lofgren, 78, is a lifelong Bay Area resident, a mother and grandmother. She has served in Congress since 1995. She is a former immigration lawyer and law professor. She has also served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the San Jose-Evergreen Community College board.
BenitoLink: Why are you running?
Lofgren: I’m running to continue representing the 18th district, because I believe at a time like this where our country is facing multiple crises, we need experienced and level-headed leadership. If the House majority shifts, we will need a quick pivot for a better direction for our country. I have the energy and strength to serve, and I am therefore willing to serve if my constituents want me to. I’ve not been someone who goes to Washington to put on a show or make a name for myself, but to work every day to rein in the chaos and deliver results for Californians. I’ve delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for community projects in the 18th district, and I want to ensure that federal support continues.
As the only former immigration expert in Congress, my colleagues value my expertise in the policymaking process. I also served in local government and know about all the various issues that localities have to deal with. If you want me to serve again, I will be a representative who is familiar with the complexities of these issues and can be effective on day one of the 120th Congress.
What is the most pressing issue before the House of Representatives today?
Right now, the Republican-controlled Congress is not acting like a coequal branch of government—it’s just a rubber stamp for Donald Trump. There is an absence of political courage, and it’s allowed the executive branch to just do whatever it wants. We need leaders to grow a spine and stand up to this administration’s reckless and illegal actions that are driving up costs and causing havoc in our communities.
What are two most pressing issues in the district and, if elected, how will you address them?
Healthcare is a big issue I’ve been hearing a lot about from constituents. Because Trump and Republicans let the ACA tax credits expire, we are facing a healthcare crisis in America. About 23,000 people in the 18th district are seeing their healthcare costs go up, and nearly 7,000 will lose health coverage altogether because they can’t afford it. For a family of four in the 18th district earning $130,000 a year, annual premiums will more than triple. I voted for a bill that would extend the tax credits for three years, but Mike Johnson and Donald Trump killed the bill. Republicans are also responsible for cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid in the Big, Ugly Law, the biggest cut in history. I’m going to keep the pressure up and support legislation that will revive the ACA tax credits and reverse the disastrous cuts that Republicans passed in the Big, Ugly Law.
The other big issue that’s impacted nearly everybody in our district is Trump’s illegal tariffs, which cost the average family $1,700 last year. They are driving up the price of just about everything, especially at the grocery store. President Trump has claimed that the affordability crisis is a “Democratic hoax,” but anybody who actually does their own grocery shopping can see that’s a lie. I’m proud to represent a heavily agricultural area, and I know that these tariffs have been especially harmful to our farmers. We had the worst year for job gains since 2003 outside of a recession. These tariffs have been an unequivocal disaster, and we need a member of Congress who will vote to end this failed economic agenda and relieve the financial burden that President Trump has placed on Americans.
Shane Lewis, 55, is an electrical test engineer who lives just outside the district with friends and family in the district. He has not held public office before.
BenitoLink: Why are you running?
Lewis: Because our representatives have forgotten the only purpose that justifies its existence. The representatives in our government envies other countries while leaving our families hurting, encourages a porous border that has established an underclass in America and overburdens our communities, and refuses to understand its critical role to support our local communities with updated infrastructure.
What is the most pressing issue before the House of Representatives today?
We have an identity crisis in this country. Our federal government cannot formulate policy that aligns with our form of government. There is no original thought and solutions gravitate to those of other nations without considering whether they are compatible with our form of government or if they will be detrimental to our way of life.
What are two most pressing issues in the district and, if elected, how will you address them?
Immigration, making excuses for fixing immigration protects our representatives from scrutiny. The government, not the immigrant, is responsible for making sure our laws are enforced. Over 600,000 citizens and slaves fought to align our country’s ideals with practice. And the only reason 600,000 people had to die was because those in government failed to recognize that all people were created equal and valuing privilege and preference above all else.
Today, we’re creating that same underclass while the state governments and party profits from the practice. I will provide solutions that support our communities, families, and immigrants that promote freedom and liberty. How we treat immigrants is a reflection of how we treat American citizens and whether your government is accountable to you or not. Change is here, justice is here, and dignity is here.
We need massive updates to infrastructure and the investment in infrastructure in this district needs to keep up with inflation, as well as the number of people our district serves. A lack of infrastructure stifles communities, tears families apart, and impacts our first amendment. Infrastructure is the primary way the government demonstrates it supports our families and communities.
The government can find the money to shut down our entire country during COVID but can’t find the funds to support our communities. This state can find billions of dollars for a bullet train when the money it wanted to spend on this project could update every single infrastructure project we need in this state with money to spare. Priorities are upside down. Problems seem to be more valued than solutions. I want your federal government to play a support role in you being able to bless your family and then get out of the way and let your communities flourish. Allow your local governments to concentrate on how they can be proactive to support your needs.
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