MAGA candidate joins CA Secretary of State to appeal ruling over Vince Fong’s bid for Congress

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber will appeal a Sacramento judge’s decision to let Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong run for both Congress and the state Legislature at the same time. And she has an unlikely comrade in her appeals process: MAGA Republican and one of Fong’s competitors for Congress, David Giglio.

Weber’s office on Friday confirmed it would file to appeal Judge Shelleyanne Chang’s Thursday decision to allow Fong to be on both the primary ballots for the 20th Congressional District — to replace his former boss, ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and the 32nd Assembly District, which encompasses parts of Kern and Tulare counties in the Central Valley.

“I strongly disagree with the outcome of this case, and I am gravely concerned about the consequences of today’s ruling,” Weber said in a statement Friday. “I do agree, however, with the Court’s expressed concern that this ruling ‘may result in voter confusion and the disenfranchisement of voters if Fong is ultimately elected for both offices but does not retain one,’ and that it ‘defies common sense to find the law permits a candidate to run for two offices during the same election.’”

On Friday morning, Giglio, who calls himself “the only America First Republican” running for the 20th, released a statement condemning the California Republican Party, which lauded the Sacramento Superior Court judge’s decision.

“The GOPe (sic) does not care about election integrity,” Giglio said.

“Ignoring election laws when they benefit their agenda is evidence that the Washington uni-party is joining forces to keep outsiders from breaking into their club and destroying the status quo. They call it ‘Permanent Washington’ for a reason. Kevin McCarthy isn’t actually leaving Congress, he’s installing a puppet who will do the bidding for him and the corrupt RINO (Republican In Name Only) establishment.”

Fong was McCarthy’s district director for close to a decade before his election to the Legislature, and he has already secured McCarthy’s endorsement.

“Vincent Fong should be disqualified from both elections for his willingness to break election law,” Giglio continued, citing California elections code that prevents candidates from running for two seats concurrently.

“We are officially preparing to file a motion to intervene and join the Secretary of State in the appeals process.”

Giglio siding with the Secretary of State’s office, led by Democrat Shirley Weber, deepens the schism between the far-right Republican candidate and his party.

“Today’s ruling was a victory for the voters of Congressional District 20 who will now get to decide who can best represent them from a full slate of candidates,” California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said Thursday in a statement.

“The Sacramento Democrat machine tried and failed to interfere in a district that heavily favors Republicans, but the court rightly saw the legitimacy of Assemblyman Fong’s candidacy and put an end to Democrats’ political games. We look forward to a robust campaign in CA-20 as voters — not Sacramento Democrats — choose a leader to send to Washington on their behalf.”

But Giglio sees himself as a true “America-First patriot” standing out in “the swamp” amid RINO “dirty tricks.”

“That’s how the swamp operates. ... We need America-First patriots in Congress now more than ever,” he said.

“I am running for Congress as an outsider, and I refuse to let dirty tricks stand in our way!”

There are many contenders on the ballot for the 20th Congressional District, California’s reddest and most oddly shaped. Unlike Giglio, multiple Republicans indicated they would not actively campaign if Fong could run, according to a consultant familiar with their plans.

While they can’t remove their names from the ballot, candidates can encourage voters to choose Fong.

“I know firsthand that Vince is a man of principle, faith, and conviction who is committed to working with all Americans to move our country forward. We must elect Vince Fong to succeed Congressman Kevin McCarthy,” said Stan Ellis, a Kern County tech entrepreneur who is on the ballot as a GOP candidate in the 20th.

Other Republicans on the ballot in the 20th are Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux; businessman Kyle Kirkland; Kelly Kulikoff, mayor of California City; and Matt Stoll, a fighter pilot turned business owner.

Democrats are teacher Marisa Wood, who ran against McCarthy in 2022, and Andy Morales, a security guard. No party preference candidates are Ben Dewell, a meteorologist who ran as a Democrat here in 2022, and businessman T.J. Esposito.

McClatchyDC’s Gillian Brassil contributed to this story.