The race to win California’s 22nd congressional district in the midterms has become one of the tightest House races in the country. Here's what you need to know:
October 27, 2022 5:01 PM EDThe race to win California’s 22nd congressional district in the midterms has become one of the tightest House races in the country.
The Republican on the ticket, Congressman David Valadao, was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Trump in 2021. Most of the other nine lost their primaries after that vote or chose not to seek reelection. But while Trump didn’t endorse Valadao, nor did he endorse his opponent in the primary, and Valadao hung on.
“This is one of the most competitive seats in the country because in order for Republicans to win the House, we need to keep this seat. I’ve won in tight races before because I stay focused on the district and the issues that matter to the Valley,” Valadao said in a statement to TIME. “Voters have a choice this November between a Congressman that actually shows up for them and takes the tough votes, and one that has made a career of ducking votes and trying to hide his positions from voters.
“Literally, this is Kevin [McCarthy’s] backyard,” says Mark Martinez, chair of the Department of Political Science at California State University Bakersfield, which resides in the district. “So this congressional district would be a slap in the face for [McCarthy] to lose.” Valadao and Salas have campaigned aggressively, and have raised more than $2 million each so far in trying to secure the seat. “The voters here, they don’t vote for the party, they vote for the candidate,” says Abby Olmstead, Salas’ campaign manager. “They’re really looking for the person who’s going to do the most good for the most amount of people to really deliver.”by RMG Research and David Binder Research find Salas ahead of Valadao by five and eight points, respectively.