The Central Valley race between Republican Rep. David Valadao and Democratic challenger Rudy Salas in California’s 22nd Congressional District was so close that no votes could be cast on election night, and officials continued to count votes.
The hotly contested race, in which Democrats and Republicans poured millions of dollars, is one of several in California that could help decide which party controls Congress next year. It was. This was a rematch between two men known for their moderate politics. When Mr. Salas challenged Mr. Valadao in 2022, he lost by about 3,100 votes.
The rural swing district stretches across parts of Kern, Kings and Tulare counties and includes south Hanford to Bakersfield. The economy is centered on agriculture, and more than 70% of the residents are Latino. Here, 43% of voters are registered as Democrats, while 26% are registered as Republicans and 23% have not chosen a party. The Central Valley is home to many conservative Democrats who often vote differently than people in liberal metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
The district has long been represented by Valadao, who was first elected in 2012, lost in 2018, and regained his seat in 2020. Valadao was considered a vulnerable Republican because he was one of the few sitting members of Congress to vote in favor of impeachment at the time. -President Trump will take office in 2021, but he has refused to support the Republican presidential candidate in this election.
Candidates come from various parts of the Central Valley’s agricultural region. Mr. Valadao is a dairy farmer of Portuguese descent, while Mr. Salas grew up in a family of Latino farm workers. Valadao touted his career in Congress and cited the funds he secured for local projects and police departments to show his support for the community.
Mr. Salas served in the California State Legislature for 10 years before becoming a political science instructor at California State University, Bakersfield. He told the Times earlier this year that he decided to run again because he felt residents were excited about the prospect of change. Knocking on doors, he said voters were concerned about health care and reproductive rights, two issues on which he and Valadao had very different views.
The two have opposing views on abortion rights. While in Congress, Salas supported a 2022 statewide ballot measure that enshrined contraception and abortion rights into the California Constitution. Valadao previously co-sponsored the failed House bill, the Conception at Life Act, which would have banned abortion nationwide without exception. He has since pivoted to supporting exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in danger.
On health care, Mr. Salas supports the Affordable Care Act and criticized Mr. Valadao for voting against the Inflation Control Act, which included a $35 monthly cap on insulin for Medicare enrollees. Valadao, who supports a market-based approach to health care reform, supports lowering drug costs, but called the $35 limit on insulin an “arbitrary cap.”
