Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) now has another Democratic challenger for his seat representing the 22nd Congressional District.
Asm. Jasmeet Bains (D–Delano) launched her campaign on Wednesday after months of speculation that she would enter the race.
The big picture: Bains joins Visalia Unified School District trustee Randy Villegas and former Asm. Rudy Salas (D–Bakersfield) in the race to oust Valadao from Congress.
- She is currently serving her second term in the California Assembly after first getting elected to represent part of Kern County in 2022.
- Along with her venture into politics, Bains also works as a family doctor.
State of play: Defeating Valadao has proven to be quite the challenge for Democrats over the years, despite the fact that the 22nd district has far more Democrats than Republicans registered to vote.
- Democrats currently hold an advantage of 11.84% in the district, according to voter registration data provided by the California Target Book. That lead has decreased in recent years, however, from 17.35% in 2022 to 13.17% last year.
- Valadao was only ousted from Congress once since he was first elected in 2012. That came in 2018 when he narrowly lost to T.J. Cox, before coming back to beat Cox in 2020.
What we’re watching: Villegas is the progressive candidate in the race, having appeared alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Fremont) at a town hall event in Bakersfield earlier this year.
- Bains has positioned herself as a more moderate Democrat during her time in the Legislature, including a dispute with her own party two years ago that saw her removed from a committee for voting against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gas price gouging bill.
- While Salas was the first challenger to file paperwork to run, he has yet to formally announce his candidacy.
What they’re saying: “I’m a doctor, not a career politician – and I’ve spent my life on the frontlines, listening to Valley families and fighting for their health, their safety, and their future,” Bains said in a statement. “I’m running for Congress because we deserve better than broken promises and backroom deals, and our communities are tired of getting left behind. We deserve a representative who will actually show up, and stand up, for the Valley.”
- She also took aim at Valadao in her announcement, saying he works for “donors and D.C. insiders who drive up drug prices.”
- “In the middle of an affordability crisis in the Central Valley, while our communities struggle to afford care, food, or clean water, Valadao just voted to gut Medi-Cal that provides 68% of the affordable healthcare in our community, jack up prescription drug prices, and cut off food assistance for thousands of hardworking folks,” Bains said. “That’s not leadership – that’s betrayal.”
- National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Christian Martinez said Bains will never represent the values of the Central Valley, saying she has an “extreme record that sells out hardworking California families.”
- “She’s more focused on handing out taxpayer-funded home loans, welfare, and free healthcare to illegal immigrants than defending the very Californians footing the bill,” Martinez said. “Californians deserve better than a radical activist masquerading as their representative.”
