The battle to take on Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is getting more pitched by the day.
Insurgent, progressive contender Randy Villegas (D-Visalia) continues to outpace Democratic establishment-backed Asm. Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield) on the fundraising circuit.
Driving the news: Year-end fundraising reports for Federal candidates were released late last week.
- Villegas, the school trustee and professor backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, announced he hauled in $373,860.60 during the fourth quarter of 2025. He closed out the year with $537,674.30 on-hand.
- Bains, a two-term Assemblywoman who opted to forego re-election to take on Valadao, announced she pulled in $299,670.76, or $74,189.84 less than Villegas, in the last quarter of 2025. She currently has a war chest of $437,530.98, which is $100,143.32 less than Villegas.
Meanwhile: Hours after reports for Villegas and Bains were published, Valadao dropped his report for year-end fundraising.
- The Hanford dairyman and six-term Congressman raised $618,304.97 in the fourth quarter of 2025. He closed out the year with $2,120,745.59 on-hand, a head start of more than $1.5 million from his nearest competitor.
