David Valadao vs. Rudy Salas: Here’s who The Bee endorses for District 22 in California | Opinion

The race this fall to represent the 22nd District in Congress is a return to a previous battle.

There is Republican incumbent Rep. David Valadao. On the Democrats’ side, former state Assemblyman Rudy Salas will try again to dislodge Valadao. They squared off two years ago, with Valadao beating Salas 51.5% to 48.5%.

The 22nd District covers most of Kings County and large parts of Kern and Tulare counties. More than 775,000 people live in the district, which is 75% Hispanic.

This is one of the most closely watched races in the nation. Democrats are hoping to flip the seat from red to blue with a Salas win in an effort to regain control of the House.

Running to represent the 22nd is never easy for Valadao. According to the Cook Political Report, the 22nd and a district in New York are the nation’s most Democratic leaning while being represented by a Republican in Congress. In the 22nd, Democrats hold 41.6% of the party registration; Republicans have 27.2% while no-party-preference is at 22.7%.

Key Valadao’s positions

Valadao has an easygoing manner, and often is dressed in a button-down shirt, jeans and cowboy boots befitting his Hanford dairyman background. While he has taken exception at times to what his party wants, Valadao generally votes along GOP lines. The current Congress reflects his tendencies.

The GOP leadership tried to find impeachable offenses committed by President Biden in relation to his son Hunter’s business dealings; Valdado voted to launch an investigation into impeaching the president. That effort failed to achieve its goal.

Valadao also voted with most House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Democrats in the Senate were joined by several independents to kill that effort.

Valadao has also favored border security measures; a parents bill of rights when it comes to their children’s education; increasing America’s oil and gas production at a time of rising global temperatures linked to the burning of fossil fuels; and measures to protect the use of gas stoves and internal combustion engines, despite climate impacts.

But he also voted to support funding for Ukraine in its war with Russia and to raise the nation’s debt ceiling when it got to the brink of defaulting, going against Republican leadership positions on both.

Overall, Valadao remains true to the GOP platform, which is not going to be the most help to residents of the 22nd District. Salas is much more in tune with the needs of the district, and The Bee Editorial Board recommends him again, as it did two years ago.

Salas on issues

It should be noted that Valadao passed up an invitation to interview with The Bee Editorial Board. The board does not recommend candidates it has not interviewed. Salas, however, made time to discuss his candidacy via a virtual session.

Salas, a Bakersfield-area native, served in the Assembly from 2012 to 2022. He then opted not to run for re-election and instead campaigned for Congress, and is doing so again.

He pointed out how he remains a strong supporter of a woman’s right to choose an abortion. Salas was one of the sponsors of Proposition 1, the amendment to the state Constitution that enshrines that right and which voters passed.

Valadao describes himself as pro-life, and he has earned the endorsement of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an anti-abortion group. He allows for exceptions, such as whether the life of a mother is in danger with a pregnancy, or when pregnancies occur as the result of rape or incest.

Salas is a proponent of the Affordable Care Act and wants to protect it from cuts. A record number of Americans have enrolled under it, but Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he will work to repeal the act if elected president.

On other issues, Salas:

▪ Wants to expand access to generic drugs to control the costs of medication. He voted in favor of California making its own insulin to sell back to residents at lower prices than pharmaceutical companies.

▪ Supports farm workers getting overtime pay and backs raising the minimum wage.

▪ Backed a $7.5 billion water bond that will be used to construct new wells and piping to deliver fresh water to communities that have broken-down systems or contaminated supplies.

▪ Pledges to protect Social Security from cuts or any raising of the age to receive benefits.

Financial data

According to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, Valadao’s campaign has raised a total of $3.4 million. Of that, $1.5 million comes from political action committees, with political groups being the leading category. He has also taken money from PACs involved with securities and investments, crop production and real estate.

In his filings, Salas reports he has raised $3.1 million. Of that, $2.3 million comes from individual contributions and $411,000 from PACs. Another $378,000 is from transfers from other committees.

Bee recommendation

Democrats hope to retake control of the House of Representatives this year. The Sabato Crystal Ball political report, one of the nation’s most respected analysts, calls the 22nd a toss-up.

Salas’ priorities of health care, taking care of seniors and supporting farm workers is well suited for the 22nd District, a heavily agricultural area with significant poverty. Salas’ long tenure in state government equips him with the know-how of politics to do well in Congress. The Bee Editorial Board recommends him for the House of Representatives.