Rep. David Valadao has 3 challengers in 22nd District primary

There are two Republicans and two Democrats running in a close race for California’s 22nd Congressional District.

The presumed top two candidates, incumbent Rep. David Valadao and former Assemblyman Rudy Salas, are in for a San Joaquin Valley rematch. Valadao, R-Hanford, beat Salas, D-Bakersfield, on a 3% margin in 2022 in a race that nonpartisan election forecasters predicted would be a toss-up.

Analysts think the 2024 race is a toss-up too.

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, and Republican businessman Chris Mathys, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, are also running. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House of Representative’s campaign arm, gave Salas a boost over Hurtado.

The 22nd includes most of Kings and parts of Tulare and Kern counties.

The top two vote-getters in the March 5 primary will advance to the Nov. 5 general election.

David Valadao

Party: Republican

Age: 46

Birthplace: Hanford, California

Residence: Hanford, California

Occupation: U.S. Representative, dairy farmer

Education: College of the Sequoias; Hanford High School

Offices held: U.S. Representative, 2013-2019, 2021-present; California State Assemblyman, 2010-2012

Campaign website address: Valadaoforcongress.com

Q. What steps will you urge to help reduce federal deficits?

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I take the responsibility of determining how our tax dollars are spent very seriously. We must get our national debt under control so we are not burdening our kids and grandkids with trillions of dollars in debt.

Unfortunately, out of control spending under House Democrats and the Biden administration have caused inflation to skyrocket, which has put an enormous burden on hardworking families here in the Central Valley. I’m committed to responsibly reducing our discretionary spending while protecting critical benefits for our veterans and seniors.

Q. What is your view on abortion rights? What would you want Congress to do now, if anything?

We have a federalist system and the Supreme Court ruled that this is a state issue, and I believe that’s where policy on this issue should be decided. In California, access to abortion remains legal under state law.

As a Catholic father of three, I believe that every human life is sacred and must be protected. I also believe in exceptions in the case of incest, rape and life of the mother.

Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?

As the son of immigrants, immigration and border policy is a topic that is deeply personal to me. I’m proud to represent a large Hispanic population in Congress, and understand that there are many people who live in fear because of their status. Sadly, extremes on both sides of the aisle have hyper-politicized this issue for a long time and made progress on this difficult.

What we’re seeing at our border right now is a humanitarian and national security crisis, and the Biden administration has failed to secure the border. We must resume construction of physical barriers at our borders, deploy new technologies to catch gotaways, reform our asylum process so it is not abused and ensure our border patrol agents have the staffing and resources they need to deal with this unprecedented influx.

I also continue to support commonsense reforms to our immigration system, such as reforming the H-2A visa program to give our farmworkers security and our farmers a legal workforce, as well as creating a pathway for citizenship for our DREAMers. I remain committed to working with members on both sides of the aisle to reform our broken immigration system and secure the southern border.

Q. What should Congress’ next steps be in dealing with climate issues?

Striking a balance between environmental goals and economic viability is crucial. We need to allow for an equal playing field among all alternative fuel types and not pick winners and losers with one-size-fits all mandates. Turning everything electric won’t solve our problems, and as we’ve seen during the summer months with rolling blackouts across the state, our grid isn’t ready for the types of EV mandates the governor and the Biden administration are pushing for.

Congress should be incentivizing development and innovation in our energy sector with a market-based approach instead of one size-fits-all electric mandates. Along those same lines, we need to ensure a seamless transition for the traditional fossil fuel workforce to find success in the renewables industry. If we are going to gradually transition away from traditional oil and gas sites, we need to find creative ways to transition the existing infrastructure and workforce into renewable energy and jobs.

Third, we need to allow for the advancement and adoption of emerging technologies that help cut down on pollutants and improve self-sustainability for our farmers. Our farmers are some of the best stewards of the environment out there, often leading the way in innovations for conservation and sustainability. I continue my support for this innovation in Congress by co-leading legislation like the REAP Modernization Act and the Converting Our Waste Sustainably Act.

Melissa Hurtado

Party: Democratic

Age: 35

Birthplace: Fresno, California

Residence: Bakersfield, California

Occupation: State Senator

Education: California State University, Sacramento (BA in Government)

Offices held: California State Senator, 2018-present; Sanger City Council Member, 2016-2018

Campaign website address: melissa-hurtado.com

Q. What steps will you urge to help reduce federal deficits?

A growing federal deficit is an indicator of an economy that has not and is not working for all families. To fix this, we must address the complex factors affecting the state of our national economy, but above all, we need courageous leaders who are unapologetic about doing what is best for our nation. Corruption and abuse are on the rise not just abroad, but here at home too. It is plaguing our economy and adding to our deficit. Much like our situation in California, it is my belief that tackling deficits without tackling corruption is a failed economic strategy.

So, for one, we must build upon the existing U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption.

State and local governments may not have full jurisdiction to tackle issues like administrative corruption, money laundering, abuse of digital assets, cyber-attacks and holding anonymous companies accountable. But more can be done to aid federal agencies by expanding information sharing or strategic strike-forces that can help our mutual ability to hold bad actors accountable, recover assets and restore economic harms. As State Senator, I have worked to bring transparency in the purchases of agricultural land through SB 1084. This year, I will be introducing one piece of legislation to prevent administrative corruption and call for additional federal-state partnerships in a Senate Resolution. I also continue to work on protecting critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks through pending legislation.

And second, we must build upon the existing U.S. strategy on “Investing in America to Create Fair and Competitive Markets.”

This entails the necessity for increased support in investigations, technical assistance for identifying anti-trust issues in critical infrastructure and the implementation of robust policies safeguarding critical infrastructure data. In my early and ongoing efforts in the State Senate, I’ve urged the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate potential anti-trust issues in the water sector, particularly concerning the California Water Futures Market established using publicly-available data. Corporate structures are employing both new and traditional schemes to eliminate competition, control markets and drive-up inflation, affecting the costs of essential needs like food. A crucial partnership was more recently established between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California attorney general to provide support in the agriculture sector.

Expanding Medicare’s authority to negotiate with drug companies is essential for reducing prescription drug costs. Additionally, a thorough examination of insurance companies overcharging Medicaid and reclaiming excess funds is necessary. A modernized and fair tax system is crucial, ensuring that billionaires and large corporations contribute their fair share and don’t pay a lower tax rate than average Americans.

Q. What is your view on abortion rights? What would you want Congress to do now, if anything?

I strongly support reproductive freedom and abortion rights. I voted to put Proposition 1 on the ballot, which enshrines the right to an abortion and contraception in the California Constitution. Congress should pass legislation to protect reproductive freedom and abortion rights in the U.S.

Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?

Democracies worldwide face challenges aiming to undermine the very foundations of nations. As the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, I embody the contributions of the immigrant community. Yet, the current immigration landscape differs significantly from the past.

Firstly, our flawed immigration system warrants careful modernization using proven technology. Safeguarding borders is crucial, and a compromise is essential. To continue to tackle corruption at home and abroad, we need to further evaluate the Immigrant Investor Program and move to eliminating risk of fraud and any other national security issues that may arise.

Q. What should Congress’ next steps be in dealing with climate issues?

When we talk about dealing with the climate crisis, food systems must be center stage and in the context of the energy-food-nexus. Too often, food systems are taken for granted, when in reality, a monumental effort goes into the process. However, the importance of agriculture or food systems took a turning point in 2022 when the White House launched the Historic Conference for Food, Nutrition and Health. The Conference of Parties (COP 27) followed and made history by incorporating an entire day and pavilion dedicated to this topic.

We must work with agriculture to provide support and to help modernize their facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is the start of an issue area that will be increasingly at the forefront of climate talks and policy change. Not to mention, there is no agreement yet on the U.S. Farm Bill. The funding and final product will drastically have an impact on our food system for years to come. We must be proactive and continue to be global leaders in this space. Farmworkers play a crucial role in these food systems. The best way for legislators to enact meaningful change is to uplift farmworkers and put in place initiatives that address their needs like support services.

Chris Mathys

Party: Republican

Age: 66

Birthplace: San Diego, California

Residence: Firebaugh, California

Occupation: Cattle rancher, businessman

Education: Fresno State (BA); University of the Southwest (MBA)

Offices held: Fresno City Council Member, 1997-2001

Campaign website address: mathyscongress.com

Q. What steps will you urge to help reduce federal deficits?

Significant reduction in foreign aid to the Ukraine.

Reduce immigration into the U.S. and require all asylum seekers to apply for entry in their home country pursuant to the guidelines of Title 42 under the Trump administration.

Balance the budget and reduce spending in other areas when new expenditures are proposed.

Q. What is your view on abortion rights? What would you want Congress to do now, if anything?

The Supreme Court has transferred decisions related to abortion to the states. I am anti-abortion.

Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?

We currently have an open border. Our immigration system is broken. We must complete the wall and use the California National Guard to assist with border enforcement. This system is working in Texas. America cannot afford the costs associated with the migrant crisis. Our veterans and seniors must come first.

Q. What should Congress’ next steps be in dealing with climate issues?

Our country will always experience periods of heat and cold.

America has the toughest environmental standards in the world. We must hold other countries to the same requirements. We do not need more regulations. We have tremendous oil and gas reserves in California. It makes much more sense to drill for oil in California than relying on foreign countries to meet our energy needs.

Rudy Salas

Party: Democratic

Age: 46

Birthplace: Bakersfield, California

Current town/city of residence: Bakersfield, California

Current occupation: College teacher

Education: UCLA (BA in Political Science and History)

Offices: California State Assemblyman, 2013-2023; Bakersfield City Council, 2010-2012

Campaign website address: rudysalas.com

Q. What steps will you urge to help reduce federal deficits?

California’s 22nd Congressional District has not received the levels of federal investment that this community needs. Much of that is because David Valadao has failed to vote to bring funding home to his constituents — he voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has voted to cut programs like Meals on Wheels for Seniors and Veterans Benefits. Valadao voted against manufacturing our own computer chips here in the U.S., something that will create jobs and spur the economy so that we can tackle deficits.

Q. What is your view on abortion rights? What would you want Congress to do now, if anything?

In the Assembly, I sponsored Proposition 1 because I believe that women should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions. Congress should take action to protect women’s freedom of choice across the country.

Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?

Our current immigration system is broken. We need comprehensive immigration reform that both secures the border and treats aspiring Americans with dignity. We must continue to stand up for DREAMers and work to establish a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding folks who are living in the shadows.

Also, we must process immigration requests more quickly — we cannot reasonably expect people to wait years, and in some cases decades, for a response to their application for residency or asylum.

Q. What should Congress’ next steps be in dealing with climate issues?

California is leading the country in renewable energy investments. I believe we must continue to invest in the renewable energy sources of the future, but we must also be mindful of the impacts our changing energy consumption will have on all workers.

As our economy evolves and adapts to changes driven by things like renewable energy production and artificial intelligence, we must ensure that we’re prioritizing workers. That’s why when I was in the Legislature I worked so hard to deliver funding for new programs at our local universities to plan and prepare for the new energy future, job skill training programs and more.