Candidates field for Devin Nunes’ seat grows, as Fresno County supervisor launches bid
A second Fresno-area Republican said Wednesday he will run for Congress now that Rep. Devin Nunes is retiring from the 22nd District.
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig made his intention to run known in an announcement. He’s been a supervisor since winning in 2016, and was on the Clovis City Council before that.
Nunes, a Tulare Republican, said this week he will leave the House of Representatives after 18 years representing the central San Joaquin Valley.
Magsig, who lives in Clovis, said if elected he would focus on issues related to water in the Valley and forest fires.
“The Valley and our foothill communities have been blessed with decades of strong leadership in Washington,” he said. “I will continue this legacy in Congress by focusing on cut wasteful spending, remove the burdens Washington has placed on our communities and strengthening the ability for central California to flourish.”
Magsig’s announcement came hours after a campaign official for state Sen. Andreas Borgeas confirmed the first-term senator would also be seeking the 22nd seat.
There is still another year left in Nunes term so it would have been up again in 2022.
The U.S. Constitution requires congressional seats to be filled through elections so the 22nd District seat would need to be filled with a special election or remain empty until the 2022 midterm elections.
In order to have a special election, the governor must call for it within two weeks of the vacancy. That would trigger a primary to occur within 20 weeks and, later, a general election.
Others have said they plan to run for the 22nd District and still more potential candidates say they are still weighing their options.
Other opponents
Fresno Democrat Phil Arballo has said he planned to challenge Nunes again. The small business owner lost to Nunes in 2020 by about nine points.
Democrat Lourin Hubbard, who is new to politics, made his announcement in June.
Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld, a conservative Republican, has said he’s looking at 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 before deciding whether to run.
