Democrat Randy Villegas has unseated Republican Rep. David Valadao in California's 22nd Congressional District, and voters there say anger over immigration raids, prices and President Trump drove the result.
Why it matters: Valadao had held off Democrats in the San Joaquin Valley for years by winning independents. Villegas has led by roughly 30 percentage points since election night, and the Associated Press has called the race, the Los Angeles Times reported.
What voters said
Voters interviewed by the Times, including Delano barber Jorge Navarro, pointed to immigration enforcement, tariffs and the cost of living. About 67% of district residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the Times reported, making federal health cuts a central issue.
"We drew the district to be three points more effective for Democrats, and I was off by a factor of 12," said Paul Mitchell, who drew the Proposition 50 map. Turnout may have doubled from 2022, the Times reported.
The candidates
Villegas turns 32 this week, and Valadao had not commented on his loss, the Times reported. Ballotpedia noted. Before the vote, according to Ballotpedia, Valadao had raised $6.33 million and Villegas $5.94 million. "It's pretty bad," Kern County Republican Party chair Clayton Campbell told the Times.