Villegas defeats Valadao in California’s 22nd District

Randy Villegas defeated incumbent David Valadao in California’s 22nd Congressional District, giving Democrats a pickup in a closely watched Central Valley race. The Associated Press called the race for Villegas, but the reported vote percentages were partial tallies, not a certified final count. Villegas, a Democrat and educator, campaigned on healthcare and the cost of living. He also criticised immigration raids and Valadao’s support for increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Reports described those issues as central to his campaign, but did not establish them as the cause of the result. The district’s boundaries changed after California voters approved Proposition 50. The redrawn district gave Democrats a larger registration advantage and was described as making the seat more favorable to their candidates. Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, had represented the district since 2023 and had won six of the previous seven elections, according to one report. Partial vote counts differed according to when they were reported. An early account put Villegas at 64.9% and Valadao at 35.1%, with about 16% of votes counted. A later account reported 66% for Villegas...