GOP Candidate Leads Congressional Race in San Joaquin Valley

The official portrait of Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.). (US House of Representatives)

U.S. Rep. David Valadao is ahead in the race for California’s congressional District 22 over state Assemblyman Rudy Salas, according to preliminary results of the Nov. 8 midterm election results.

Valadao, a Republican, is leading with 52.7 percent of the vote over Salas, a Democrat, with 47.3 percent in the district, which includes parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Valadao has so far received 44,862 votes compared to Salas’s 40,315 as of Nov. 19.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has until Dec. 16 to certify the results.

Before redistricting, Valadao was elected to represent the state’s former congressional District 21 in 2012. He was reelected twice before he was defeated in 2018, but he was elected again in 2020.

Salas was elected in 2012 to the California State Assembly, where Valadao has also served.

As of Oct. 19, Valadao raised about $3.5 million in campaign contributions while Salas collected approximately $2.6 million, according to the Federal Election Commission.

U.S. Rep. Connie Conway, who did not seek reelection, currently holds the seat previously held by Devin Nunes, who resigned in January to lead the Trump Media & Technology Group that launched the Truth Social platform.

Conway, a pro-Trump Republican, defeated Democrat Lourin Hubbard for the seat in a special election held during California’s June 7 primaries.

Valadao was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in January 2021.