Randy Villegas Defeats David Valadao in California's 22nd District

Randy Villegas defeated David Valadao to claim California’s 22nd congressional district, ending the six-term Republican’s tenure in a race that determined control of the House. The Associated Press called the result on Wednesday morning after a contest described as the state’s most competitive election. Valadao finished the race with $1.7 million in cash on hand, a figure federal finance reports attribute to heavy reliance on political action committees.

The district, which stretches from Bakersfield to just west of Fresno, was the only true toss-up in California following last year’s redistricting under Proposition 50. It is a majority-Latino area and one of the poorest in the nation, with the second-highest number of Medicaid enrollees among all congressional districts. Residents identified healthcare and rising costs as their primary concerns, making the federal health insurance cuts passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act a central issue for voters.

Valadao cast one of the decisive votes for that legislation, a fact Villegas emphasized throughout his campaign. In contrast, Villegas ran a platform centered on the power of the working class and vowed to forgo corporate campaign donations. His approach earned endorsements from prominent progressive figures, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Dolores Huerta. Both candidates are Central Valley natives from immigrant families with agricultural ties, but their strategies diverged sharply in this low-income district.

OpenSecrets data indicates Valadao received more than twice the average amount of money from PACs compared to other House candidates. Villegas relied instead on a network of hundreds of volunteers and tens of thousands of grassroots donors. In a statement on Tuesday night, he credited working families for the outcome, stating that the Central Valley proved what is possible when working people refuse to let special interests decide their future. He noted that the district’s constituents made their voices heard clearly against the influence of billionaires and Washington.

This victory is part of a wider shift for Democrats across the United States, who gained control of both the House and the Senate on election night. The blue wave resulted in substantial losses for Donald Trump and his party, including the flipping of several congressional seats in California. Villegas, who holds a position as a community college professor, described the win as a collective achievement. In a final statement after the race was officially called, he wrote, “They say it takes a village, we know it takes a Valley.”