david valadao

Many Democrats are hopeful that Randy Villegas, their congressional candidate in the traditionally conservative Central Valley, can prove that progressive ideas, like universal healthcare, are palatable outside of safe blue cities.

As a dairyman, David Valadao has endeared himself to the agricultural communities, even building cross-party support among Democrats. But with costs soaring and Trump so unpopular, voters might not be as willing to look beyond the “R” beside his name.

Randy Villegas, who earned endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, defied political odds by beating a more moderate Democrat in a traditionally conservative district as a progressive Democrat. But the big test will be against Republican Rep. David Valadao in November.

After 2024 losses, Democrats split on strategy: move to the middle or embrace economic populism. A Central Valley congressional race encapsulates the divide.

In the seven times he’s run for Congress, Valadao has lost his seat only once – in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first midterm election. Democrats hope to oust him again by leveraging his politically toxic vote for the GOP megabill that will cut funding to Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for nearly two-thirds of his constituents.

Jasmeet Bains, a doctor who represents Kern County in the state Assembly, becomes the latest Democrat and likely frontrunner in the race against Republican Rep. David Valadao, whose deciding vote earlier this month pushed President Donald Trump’s policy agenda through Congress, endangering health care for millions.

Note: The newsletter will pause until Tuesday, Nov. 29 for the holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! And then there was one. Just one California race for a U.S. House of Representatives seat remained too close to call as of Tuesday, two weeks after the Nov. 8 election: With about 335,000 unprocessed ballots left to count, Republican […]

This is what they call a nail-biter, folks. With Democrats managing to hang on to control of the U.S. Senate following votes tallied this weekend, all eyes have shifted to the U.S. House — and to California, which could end up determining the balance of power in Congress and the political direction of the country. […]

Note: The amazing Ben Christopher will be handling the newsletter on Monday and Tuesday. I’ll see you Wednesday! Don’t underestimate Kern County. This swath of land in the southern Central Valley produces 70% of California’s oil, and industry groups have already raised more than $8 million to gather signatures for a 2024 referendum to overturn […]

East Bakersfield may be the most fiercely fought-over part of the state for the Nov. 8 election. Key races for U.S. House and the state Legislature overlap in the changing, mostly Latino area.