Software engineer, anti-war activist vies for Panetta's San Luis Obispo County Congress seat

Hannah Poukish, The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) on May 14, 2026

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A software engineer and anti-war activist is vying to unseat Democrat Jimmy Panetta from his place in Congress.

Sean Dougherty, a Democrat who lives in Santa Cruz, is running for California’s 19th Congressional District, which spans from southern San Jose to northern San Luis Obispo County, including Cambria, Paso Robles, Templeton and Atascadero.

Dougherty was an activist during the Occupy Wall Street movement and was a part of the advisory group Santa Cruz for Bernie. He said he entered the congressional race after growing increasingly frustrated with Panetta’s “militaristic approach to foreign policy,” he told The Tribune.

“I just do not feel that the incumbent is representing what most of his constituents want,” Dougherty said, pointing to Panetta’s votes to fund military aid for Israel and his “weak” stance on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Dougherty is one of six other candidates trying to unseat Panetta. The primary will be held on June 2 in California, and the top two vote-getters will make it onto the November ballot. Panetta challenger aims to get special interest money out of Congress

Dougherty, who identifies as an anti-corruption candidate, pledged to not take any campaign donations from corporate PACS or special interest groups.

If elected to Congress, he said he would support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and eliminate private campaign contributions.

“I’m not taking these compromising campaign donations,” he said. “And that’s going to allow me to serve the interests of the constituents.”

Even though the political newcomer lacks experience in public office, Dougherty said his skills as a grassroots activist and organizer during protests against the Iraq War, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and most recently, volunteering for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, have adequately prepared him to lead the congressional district.

As a software engineer, he’s also spent several years researching artificial intelligence — one of the top issues impacting Americans, he said.

“I’m better equipped than most people to see through a lot of the smoke and mirrors that you’re going to get from that industry,” Dougherty told The Tribune.

He also promotes abolishing ICE, ending the war in Iran and cutting military spending to fund housing, education and Medicare for All.

Dougherty urged voters to select his name on the primary ballot so that Panetta will have a competitive opponent in November.

“Voting for me will mean that ... constituents’ voices are going to be heard in a way that they won’t be otherwise,” he said. Congressional candidate to protest, meet voters in SLO County

Dougherty, along with other activists, will be protesting ICE outside of the San Luis Obispo County Jail at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Later that day, he will host a meet-and-greet event for local voters at 2 p.m. at Raw Curry Yoga, 1069A Main St., in Cambria.