Former Asm. Rudy Salas has the firm backing of Democrats nationwide for his 2024 congressional campaign

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Former state Assemblymember and Bakersfield City Councilmember Rudy Salas has the national Democratic stamp of approval in his second run for California’s 22nd Congressional District.

An announcement early Monday morning revealed Salas has been added to the “Red to Blue” Program under the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), a national organization helping Democrats get elected to the House of Representatives.

It’s all part of a Democratic effort to take back the House, and this first round of candidates under the DCCC program includes Salas and 16 other Congressmember hopefuls.

This comes just two months after Salas received the California Democratic Party’s endorsement and the backing of high-profile party members.

Simply put, there is dedication at the national level to boost Salas over his only other Democratic opponent in the race, State Senator Melissa Hurtado. Still 36 days out from the March 5 primary, the party has chosen its candidate.

Hurtado, since the early days of her congressional campaign, has faced calls from other Democrats to drop out of the race.

And that means Democrats view Salas as the better candidate to advance with incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) to the November general election and, ultimately, replace him in office.

DCCC describes Salas as a “top-tier candidate” and that the committee will provide Salas “with the support needed to continue building a winning campaign as he runs for California’s 22nd Congressional District.”

According to the committee, the “Red to Blue” program offers candidates with ample resources for their campaigns, whether that be fundraising or guidance. The support can include collaborating on campaign advertisements, as the committee has done with Salas’ most recent ad.

It’s all shaping up to be a replay of the 2022 Midterms. In that election, Salas beat Valadao in the primary. The two faced off in the general election, in which Salas lost by a margin of just three percentage points.

Salas is also once again up against Chris Mathys, who ran as a MAGA Republican in 2022.

In a statement, DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene said, “[Salas is] the right person to oust MAGA enabler David Valadao – who has repeatedly sided with his party over the needs of his constituents.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

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