Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) will return to the House of Representatives for at least two more years after securing his reelection on Tuesday.
Votes came in from Kern and Tulare Counties on Tuesday to ensure that Valadao will beat former Asm. Rudy Salas (D–Bakersfield) for the second consecutive election.
The big picture: The Associated Press called the race in Congressional District 22 after the latest ballot drop put Valadao ahead 53.5% to 46.5%.
- While there are still thousands of ballots to count in the district, Valadao’s lead stands at nearly 10,000 votes after Tuesday’s update.
- It’s another victory for Valadao in what seems to be against all the odds, given that Democrats hold a 13.2% voter registration advantage in the district over Republicans.
Flashback: Valadao’s performance is an improvement over two years ago, when beat Salas by three points and over 3,000 votes.
- It’s also an improvement from 2020, when he ousted TJ Cox to return to Congress. He won that race by 0.8% and around 1,500 votes.
Zoom out: Valadao’s win puts Republicans within two more seats of retaining the majority in the House.
- Republicans currently lead 216-206 and could be boosted this week if Rep. John Duarte (R–Modesto) wins his reelection bid against former Asm. Adam Gray (D–Merced). Duarte currently leads the race for the 13th District by 2% and 3,100 votes.
What they’re saying: “Congratulations to Representative David Valadao on his re-election,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesperson Ben Petersen. “Central Valley voters picked a farmer who works with both parties to lower inflation, bring water to the Valley and defend their safety and security, and Representative Valadao will keep getting results for them.”
