Valadao ousted in battleground California House contest

Progressive challenger Randy Villegas (D) has defeated Rep. David Valadeo (R-Calif.) in the race for California’s 22nd Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ has projected.

Villegas’s defeat of Valadeo knocks out an incumbent that has served in the House on and off from 2013 on, representing both the 22nd District and 21st District. The Democratic representative-elect is an educator and activist who was victorious in his primary against California State Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains (D).

Villegas notched 65 percent support with 19 percent of the vote reported. Valadao garnered 35 percent support, per DDHQ.

During his primary , Villegas was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas).

Villegas is the child of immigrants from Mexico and teaches at a community college named College of the Sequoias. He is a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz, earning a PhD from the school in 2020, and is the first member of his family to graduate from college, according to Mother Jones.

The race between Valadeo and Villegas had been rated as a “toss up” by the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report, while Decision Desk HQ had rated the race as “likely” Democratic.

Villegas’s opponent, Valadeo, distanced himself from President Trump after being one of the 10 Republicans that voted to impeach the president following the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.