Kevin McCarthy endorses Vince Fong for Congress in Bakersfield, but can he legally run?

Rep. Kevin McCarthy has endorsed Assemblyman Vince Fong to succeed him in California’s 20th Congressional District. The question is whether Fong can legally run for the seat.

Fong, R-Bakersfield, had originally decided against making the race and filed to run again in his Assembly district before the Friday deadline. But come Monday he changed his mind, and yesterday was sworn in as a candidate for Congress in Kern County.

The issue is that with the filing deadline now passed, Fong’s name must stay on the ballot as a candidate for Assembly, according to both the California secretary of state’s office and Kern County.

A candidate also cannot run for two offices on the same ballot.

The Bee asked the California secretary of state and Kern County’s officials multiple times Monday and Tuesday about Fong’s situation and is awaiting a response.

Fong is the best-known candidate running in the solidly-Republican race so far.

“There is no one that I trust more to continue the fight for common-sense and conservative values in Washington DC. I am proud to endorse my friend Vince Fong for Congress,” McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said in his endorsement. Fong’s campaign released the statement Tuesday.

Fong, 44, currently represents California’s 32nd Assembly district, and was first elected in 2016. Prior to that, he served as the district director to McCarthy for almost a decade.

McCarthy, who turns 59 in January, announced last week that he would retire from Congress at the year’s end. Eight GOP hardliners joined all Democrats to remove him as speaker, a role McCarthy coveted for years and held for nine months.

Candidates have until 5 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 13, to put in their paperwork.

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has pulled papers to collect the necessary signatures to file.

David Giglio, a self-proclaimed “America First” Republican and business owner, said he would run, as did Oregon Republican Matthew Piatt, a consultant.

A number of Democrats announced, including Marisa Wood, a Bakersfield teacher who challenged McCarthy in 2022; John Burrows, a Fresno public affairs entrepreneur, and Andy Morales of Bakersfield, a recent college graduate working in private security. Ben Dewell, who ran as a Democrat in the 2022 primary, is campaigning as an Independent.

Depending on when McCarthy retires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom may call for a special election to fill the remainder of his term.