First Republican officially enters race for Devin Nunes’ soon vacant congressional seat
State Sen. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, became the first Republican on Wednesday to officially begin a run for the soon-to-be empty 22nd District congressional seat, according to a spokesperson.
Borgeas filed to run and set up a fundraising committee for his election to the seat Rep. Devin Nunes will vacate at the end of the month, a spokesperson confirmed.
A former Fresno County supervisor, Borgeas was elected to the 8th District of the state senate in 2018.
Nunes’ 22nd District seat was set to be up for election again in 2022. Congressional seats must be filled through elections, per the U.S. Constitution. So the 22nd District seat would need to be filled with either a special election or remain vacated until it is filled in the 2022 midterm elections.
The seat could not be filled until the summer at earliest.
Other candidates
There are a few other candidates who are considering a run.
Fresno Democrat Phil Arballo announced in January he would be challenging Nunes again. The small business owner lost to Nunes in 2020 by about nine points.
Newcomer Lourin Hubbard, also a Democrat, made his announcement in June. He works for the California Department of Water Resources.
Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld, a conservative Republican, has said he’s weighing a potential run.
Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, and State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, both tweeted they are watching to see how the new district shakes out.
Other Fresno-area politicians that could potentially run include Fresno County Supervisors Steve Brandau and Nathan Magsig, both Republicans who live in the district.
