In a sign of how hotly contested the race for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is, President Trump announced his support for Rep. Vince Fung in an exchange Tuesday.

Mr. Fung, who was once a district director for Mr. McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, threw himself into the ring to replace Mr. McCarthy shortly after the ousted Mr. McCarthy resigned in December. Mr. Fung has already attracted other major supporters, including Mr. McCarthy, and is seen as the front-runner for the 20th Congressional District seat.

“Vince will work with me in Congress to grow our economy, lower taxes, cut burdensome regulation, and defend America's energy, amending the U.S. Constitution under siege by the radical left,” Trump said in a statement. “I will protect and protect Article 2.” “Now is the time to unite around Vince Fung and elect a true Republican to this seat.”

Fon confronts There are many other candidates It is in one of California's most Republican districts, including parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.

One of his rivals, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreau, recently won the endorsement of state Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), who has long represented the district in Congress. And David Giglio, a self-proclaimed “America First” candidate, withdrew from the race after modeling himself on Trump's campaign.

In a statement thanking President Trump, Fung said, “The Central Valley is tired of the failures of the Biden administration. We are ready to welcome back to Washington, D.C., a leader who will do the same.”

Mr. Fung's bid for Congress initially hit a snag when Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber said he could not run for two offices at once. Mr. Fong was already seeking re-election to Congress. The judge overruled Weber's ruling, saying that allowing Mr. Fung to run for two public offices was “somewhat contrary to common sense,” but that the politician had a right to a trial.

Voters will cast their ballots twice to choose their representatives for the state's 20th Congressional District. The first will be a primary election on March 5th for a two-year term beginning in January 2025, followed by a special election on March 19th for the remainder of Mr. McCarthy's term.