politics
California Republican Who Voted to Impeach Trump Faces Toss-Up Race
Rep. David Valadao is running in a newly redrawn district rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Two Democrats are competing in the June 2 primary to challenge him in November.
May 23, 9:31 AM·1m read1 source
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Rep. ) is running for re-election in a district now rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. The district covers Bakersfield and was redrawn after California passed a mid-decade redistricting measure. The report changed its rating after Democrats responded to similar redistricting actions in Republican-led states.
Trump carried the revised district by two percentage points in the last presidential election.
Democrats are competing in the June 2 primary under California's top-two system. Physician Jasmeet Bains has support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, while political science professor Randy Villegas is backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report said Valadao faces a tougher district and political environment despite past over-performance.
Voted to impeach President Trump in 2021.
He later voted for a major Trump-backed bill that Democrats have criticized for including Medicaid reductions. His district has the highest Medicaid enrollment among Republican-held districts. The Democratic campaign arm has highlighted that vote in its messaging. Valadao's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. The White House also did not respond to a request for comment.
