- Rep. David Valadao, Republican, incumbent
Valadao is defending his seat within the closely agricultural district. He was one in all 10 Home Republicans who voted in 2021 to question former President Trump for his function as a “driving pressure” behind the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. Valadao was first elected to Congress in 2012 after one time period within the state Meeting. He served in Congress for 3 straight phrases earlier than shedding his 2018 reelection bid. However he returned to Congress in 2020, and was reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic challenger Rudy Salas by a 3% margin.
- Rudy Salas, Democrat, former member of the state Meeting
Salas is difficult Valadao as soon as once more. The son of farmworkers, in 2010 he turned the primary Latino elected to the Bakersfield Metropolis Council. Salas served 5 phrases within the Meeting. He has been endorsed by the California Democratic Celebration, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the United Farm Staff union. Salas instructed the Instances he’s working “to proceed delivering for Valley households.”
- Melissa Hurtado, Democrat, state senator
Hurtado declared her intention to run in August, organising a probably aggressive main. Hurtado has branded herself as a part of a brand new technology of Latina political leaders; in 2018, at age 30, she turned the youngest lady ever elected to the state Senate. Beforehand, she served on the Sanger Metropolis Council.
- Chris Mathys, Republican, former Fresno Metropolis Council member
Mathys is also difficult Valadao, framing himself as being additional to the political proper than the congressman. The cattle ranch proprietor instructed The Instances he’s working as a result of he believes Valadao “betrayed voters” when he voted to question Trump. “I’ll combat for our conservative values and can all the time put People first,” he mentioned.
Below California’s top-two main system, the 2 candidates who obtain probably the most votes within the March main will advance to November’s common election, no matter their political occasion.
