How To Use This Guide

1. Pick the issues you care about. Rank the two or three that matter most to you, such as water, immigration, health care or fuel prices.
2. Find which office handles them. The U.S. House writes federal law and sets the federal budget, including farm, water, immigration and health care programs. The 14 statewide propositions would change state taxes, borrowing, elections and environmental review.
3. Compare the candidates. Read where each candidate stands on your top issues, then read the candidates’ own words and who funds each campaign.

The U.S. House Race

What This Office Does

U.S. House members serve two-year terms and vote on every federal law and the federal budget. All bills that raise taxes must start in the House. The 22nd District covers parts of Kern, Tulare, Kings and Fresno counties, including Bakersfield, according to KVPR. ​

Voters redrew the district in November 2025 through Proposition 50, adding Democratic-leaning areas of Fresno County and dropping Hanford, Porterville and Tulare, according to GV Wire’s debate coverage. On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the new map after a divided three-judge federal court refused to halt it, according to SCOTUSblog. At the candidates’ televised debate, the questions centered on Medicaid, fuel prices, the war in Iran, immigration enforcement and aid to Israel.

Candidates In Brief

Democrat Randy Villegas, 31, is an associate professor of political science at College of the Sequoias and a Visalia Unified School District trustee. Villegas was born and raised in Bakersfield, is the son of Mexican immigrants and co-owns an auto repair shop in Bakersfield with Villegas’ father, according to Fresnoland’s candidate profiles. Villegas advanced from the Tuesday, June 2 top two primary ahead of Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield), according to Ballotpedia’s primary results report.

Republican Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), a dairy farmer from Hanford, was first elected to Congress in 2012, lost in 2018 and won the seat back in 2020. Valadao chairs the Republican Governance Group and served in the California Assembly from 2010 to 2012. Valadao was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Where They Stand

Health care. Villegas supports Medicare for All and says Valadao’s vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act “is going to rip away healthcare from Valley families,” according to KFF Health News’ report on the Medicaid debate. Valadao says “there are no actual cuts” to Medicaid in the law and says Valadao helped negotiate its work requirements. Valadao also points to the law’s $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. Valadao says universal health care would be nice but cannot be funded.

Water. Valadao wants larger water deliveries south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and more above-ground storage. Villegas calls for balancing water supply, environmental protection and community needs, with priority for small and medium-sized farmers and clean drinking water in small Valley towns.

Immigration. Both candidates support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the DIGNITY Act, which would give some undocumented immigrants legal status. Valadao says farmworkers “should not have to live in fear” but that many undocumented immigrants “have a criminal record.” Villegas says immigration agents are “targeting food vendors and farm workers.” Villegas also opposes a federal E-Verify mandate and supports a path to citizenship.

Fuel prices and Iran. Valadao defends the war in Iran as necessary to keep Iran from building a nuclear weapon and calls the fuel price increases “a temporary thing,” according to ABC30. Villegas blames the war for higher fuel prices, says there is “no evidence to support Iran being closer to a nuclear weapon” and supports a temporary suspension of federal gas and diesel taxes.

Israel. Valadao supports continued military aid to Israel. Villegas calls Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide” and opposes the aid.

Taxes. Valadao points to the 2025 law’s extension of the 2017 tax cuts and its tax breaks on tips and overtime. Villegas says the law’s tax cuts favor wealthy Americans.

In Their Own Words

Randy Villegas, at the Tuesday, Oct. 6 debate, per KFF Health News:

“The system that we have now, we pay twice as much as other countries across the world.”

David Valadao, on the 2025 law’s Medicaid work requirements, per KFF Health News:

“This is not an unreasonable ask.”

Questionnaires And Debates

Villegas and Valadao met in a televised debate on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at KGET 17’s studios in Bakersfield. The debate covered Medicaid, the war in Iran, fuel prices, immigration enforcement and aid to Israel.

Endorsements

Villegas is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who headlined a rally for Villegas in Bakersfield on Sunday, Oct. 4, according to CalMatters.

On Wednesday, June 10, after the primary, five Democrats endorsed Villegas, according to the Villegas campaign’s endorsement announcement:

The same announcement says the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Villegas to its Red to Blue program.

Valadao is endorsed by the California Republican Party, according to Ballotpedia. House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) campaigned with Valadao in Bakersfield on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Who Is Funding Them

These figures come from Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports for the 2026 cycle through Wednesday, Oct. 14, as summarized on Valadao’s AllCiv candidate page.

Valadao reported raising about $6.3 million, spending about $4.7 million and holding about $1.7 million in cash. Of that total, about $2.2 million came from individuals and $1.9 million from political action committees (PACs).

Villegas reported raising about $5.9 million, spending about $5 million and holding about $962,000. Of that total, about $5.1 million came from individuals and $190,000 from PACs. Villegas says Villegas rejects corporate PAC money.

Republicans and Democrats have each reserved more than $16 million in ads in the district through Election Day, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact, as reported by KFF Health News. During the primary, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Republican leaders, spent more than $100,000 on mailers. CalMatters reported that the mailers were meant to raise Villegas’ profile among Democrats and move Villegas past Bains.

Donors who give more than $200 in a cycle are listed by name in FEC filings. Smaller gifts are reported only as a lump total, so small donors’ names are not public.

The Incumbent’s Record

Valadao serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where Valadao chairs the Legislative Branch Subcommittee and sits on the Defense and Agriculture subcommittees. Valadao also serves on the House Agriculture Committee. Valadao’s caucuses include the Problem Solvers Caucus, the Republican Main Street Caucus and the Congressional Dairy Caucus.

In the current Congress, Valadao has voted in 633 of 645 roll-call votes and voted against a majority of House Republicans 29 times out of 596, according to Legis1 records. None of the 31 bills Valadao has introduced this Congress has become law, though several passed the House, including the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025 and the Romance Scam Prevention Act.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, Valadao voted for final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the House Clerk’s roll call. At the debate, Valadao said the law makes “no actual cuts” to Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the law reduces federal Medicaid spending by $911 billion over 10 years, according to KFF’s analysis of the estimates. About 6 in 10 district residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, according to KFF Health News. At the debate, Villegas also said Valadao voted six times to support the war in Iran.

Challengers’ Records

Villegas was appointed to the Visalia Unified School District Board of Education in December 2021 and elected by Area 6 voters in November 2022.

Scorecards Readers Can Check

The League of Conservation Voters scorecard rates environmental votes, and the Heritage Action scorecard rates votes from a conservative perspective. Both grade Valadao, and because each group picks different votes, their ratings measure different things.

Also On Your Ballot

California voters will decide 14 statewide propositions. Five were placed on the ballot by the Legislature and nine by voter petition, according to Los Angeles County’s list of measures. Fiscal estimates come from the state’s Legislative Analyst.

Proposition 1: Housing bonds. Placed by the Legislature, it lets the state borrow $11.25 billion for housing affordability programs. Repayment would cost the state $500 million to $600 million a year for about 25 years. US Vets and other supporters say the bonds would help veterans and other Californians find affordable homes. No argument against it was submitted to the official voter guide.

Proposition 2: Rainy day fund. Placed by the Legislature, it raises the cap on the state’s Budget Stabilization Account from 10% to 20% of general fund revenue. California Professional Firefighters and other supporters say larger reserves would protect essential services in downturns. Assemblymember David Tangipa (R-Fresno) says it would increase spending and make taxpayer rebates less likely.

Proposition 3: High-income tax. Placed by petition, it makes permanent the income tax rates on individuals earning more than $371,000, adjusted for inflation, which otherwise expire in 2031. It keeps $5 billion to $15 billion a year in state revenue for schools and health care. The California Teachers Association and other supporters say it protects school and health funding without raising rates. The California Taxpayers Association and other opponents say it makes a temporary tax permanent, according to the official voter guide’s Proposition 3 page.

Proposition 4: Public campaign financing. Placed by the Legislature, it repeals the 1988 ban on public financing of campaigns and lets state and local governments create programs giving candidates public funds. It would cost the Fair Political Practices Commission a few hundred thousand dollars a year. The League of Women Voters of California and other supporters say it would let communities set up public financing with safeguards. The California Taxpayers Association says taxpayers could end up funding candidates without limits.

Proposition 5: Recall elections. Placed by the Legislature, it removes the replacement question from recall elections for state officers. Vacancies would be filled later by special election or appointment, depending on the office and timing. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters of California and California Common Cause, say it stops replacements from winning with a small share of the vote. Opponents say politicians, not voters, would pick replacements for statewide offices, according to the official voter guide’s Proposition 5 page.

Proposition 37: Loans for middle-income homebuyers. Placed by petition, it creates a state program run by the California Housing Finance Agency that offers second mortgages of up to 17% of the price of qualifying new homes, backed by up to $25 billion in revenue bonds. Homebuyers’ loan payments would repay the bonds, so there is no direct state or local cost. United Nurses Associations of California and other supporters say it would help middle-income residents buy new homes. No argument against it was submitted to the official voter guide.

Proposition 38: Immunology research bonds. Placed by petition, it lets the state borrow $8.4 billion for immunology and immunotherapy research and creates a research institute affiliated with the University of California. Repayment would cost $500 million to $600 million a year for about 20 years. The Michael J. Fox Foundation and other supporters say it would fund research on cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Researcher Robert M. Kaplan says it would add decades of debt.

Proposition 39: Voter ID. Placed by petition, it would make three changes, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Proposition 39 analysis:

  • Voters would have to show government-issued ID to vote in person.
  • Mail voters would have to write the last four digits of that ID on the ballot envelope.
  • The state would have to offer a free voter ID card.

It would cost tens of millions to low hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Supporters say it would increase trust in elections. The ACLU of California Action and other opponents say it would create barriers for eligible voters and expose personal information.

Proposition 40: One-time billionaire tax. Placed by petition, it imposes a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of billionaires in California, mainly for Medi-Cal, food assistance and public education. It would raise tens of billions of dollars over several years and could reduce income tax revenue by less than $1 billion a year afterward. Sanders and SEIU United Healthcare Workers West support it. The California Primary Care Association and other opponents say it could hurt the economy and state budget.

Proposition 41: Spending limit and tax audits. Placed by petition, it bars new state taxes, including those enacted after Jan. 1, 2026, whose revenue is excluded from the state spending limit. It also requires audits of programs funded by new special taxes. Its fiscal effect is unknown. The California Society of Certified Public Accountants and other supporters say audits add accountability. SEIU United Healthcare Workers West says it is aimed at undoing the billionaire tax. A Yes vote on Proposition 41 or 42 would invalidate that tax, according to GV Wire’s proposition guide.

Proposition 42: Personal property taxes. Placed by petition, it bans new state taxes on personal property such as retirement savings and other personal assets, and voids conflicting taxes enacted after Jan. 1, 2026. Future state tax revenue may grow more slowly. California Professional Firefighters and other supporters say it protects savings from new taxes. Opponents including Sanders say it is meant to block the billionaire tax.

Proposition 43: Local special taxes. Placed by the Legislature, it raises the vote needed to pass voter-proposed local special taxes from a majority to two-thirds, starting Jan. 1, 2027. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and other supporters say it closes a loophole in Proposition 13. California Professional Firefighters and other opponents say it would let a third of voters block funding for fire, schools and other services, according to the official voter guide’s Proposition 43 page.

Proposition 44: Community clinic spending. Placed by petition, it requires nonprofit federally qualified health centers to spend at least 90% of their revenue on program services such as patient care, or face penalties. State costs would run in the low tens of millions of dollars a year, covered by fees. SEIU United Healthcare Workers West says it holds clinic executives accountable. The California Medical Association and other opponents say it would close community clinics, according to the official voter guide’s Proposition 44 page.

Proposition 45: Environmental review. Placed by petition, it sets deadlines for California Environmental Quality Act reviews of most housing, transportation, water and health projects and narrows court challenges. Initial state and local costs would likely reach the high tens of millions of dollars a year and could top $100 million. Supporters including the California Water Association say faster reviews would make the state more affordable. Opponents including the Coalition for Clean Air say it limits public review of local projects, according to the official voter guide’s Proposition 45 page.

Local measures. Cities, school districts and other local agencies in parts of the district also have measures on the ballot. Your county sample ballot lists every measure you will see.

Before You Go

Still Ahead

  • Early voting is open at county elections offices. Vote centers opened Saturday, Oct. 24, in counties that use them, according to the Secretary of State’s vote center announcement. Find locations and drop boxes at the state’s early voting locator.
  • Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and anyone in line by 8 p.m. may vote.
  • Same day registration: You can still register and vote a conditional ballot at your county elections office or any in-person voting location through Election Day.
  • Mail ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 3, and arrive by Tuesday, Nov. 10. You can also drop them at an official drop box, polling place, vote center or county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Track your ballot at Where’s My Ballot.
  • ID: Most voters do not need ID. You may be asked for ID if this is your first federal election and you registered by mail or online without a California ID or Social Security number. A driver’s license, passport, student or military ID, utility bill, bank statement or official government mail will work.
  • In the booth: You may bring a voter information guide, sample ballot or your own notes.
  • Questions: Call the Secretary of State’s voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683), or call or text the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), per Election Protection.

Deadlines That Have Passed

Sources

AllCiv Profiles and Race Pages

Official Records

News

Endorsements

Health Care Analysis

Ballot Measures

Scorecards

Voting Information

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