State rejects Fong's bid to succeed McCarthy in 20th Congressional District

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Dec. 15—The California Secretary of State's Office announced Friday that Assemblyman Vince Fong may not run next year for the 20th Congressional District seat being vacated by fellow Bakersfield Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy because Fong already filed for reelection to the state Assembly.

Though not unexpected given earlier statements by the office, the decision was immediately criticized by Fong, who said he will file a challenge in court to reverse what he called in a news release "unprecedented interference in the candidate filing process."

×

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmuC:52J'D 56G6=@A>6?E H2D ;FDE E96 =2E6DE 5C2>2E:4 EFC? :? E96 AC@46DD @7 56E6C>:?:?8 H9@ H:== DF44665 |4r2CE9J] u@?8 D2:5 =2DE H6696 H@F=5 ?@E CF? 7@C E96 D62E[ 3FE 27E6C 9:D A@=:E:42= 2==J DE2E6 $6?] $92??@? vC@G6 564=2C65 D96 2=D@ H@F=5 H:E99@=5 96C 42?5:524J[ u@?8 C6G6CD65 9:>D6=7 2?5 E9C6H 9:D 92E :?E@ E96 C:?8]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96 s6>@4C2E:4 492==6?86C H9@ H2D 62D:=J =625:?8 q23=J 2D H6== 2D E96 a_E9 s:DEC:4E 4@?8C6DD:@?2= D62E] qFE E96 4@F?EJ 5@6D ?@E 92G6 2FE9@C:EJ @G6C E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6]k^Am

kAmp #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6 7@C E96 a_E9 s:DEC:4E[ |256C2 42C5 D9@A @H?6C s2G:5 v:8=:@[ 925 E9C62E6?65 E@ 7:=6 2 =682= 492==6?86 E@ >2>65:2E6=J C6DA@?5 E@ 2 C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E @? E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6VD DE2E6>6?E uC:52J]k^Am

kAmu@?8 D2:5 96 D9@F=5 36 2==@H65 E@ CF? 7@C |4r2CE9JVD 4@?8C6DD:@?2= D62E 3642FD6[ H96? 9:D A@=:E:42= >6?E@C 2??@F?465 =2DE H6696 H@F=5 ?@E D6CG6 @FE 9:D E6C>[ E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 6IE6?565 E96 42?5:52E6 7:=:?8 A6C:@5 3J 7:G6 52JD[ 2?5 E92E E96C6 D9@F=5 36 ?@ 6I46AE:@?D E@ H9@ @F89E E@ 36 2==@H65 E@ 7:=6 42?5:524J]k^Am

kAmQ%96 G@E6CD[ E96J 92G6 2 C:89E E@ 49@@D6 E96 42?5:52E6 @7 E96:C 49@:46[ E@ 6=64E E96 42?5:52E6 @7 E96:C 49@:46[Q 96 D2:5 =6DD E92? 92=7 2? 9@FC 367@C6 E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 2??@F?465 :ED 564:D:@? :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] Q%96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 5@6D?VE 92G6 E96 2FE9@C:EJ E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 @FE4@>6 @7 2? 6=64E:@?]"k^Am

kAmqFE E96 DE2E6VD C6=62D6 H2D F?6BF:G@42=[ D2J:?8 u@?8VD ?2>6 H@?VE 36 @? E96 =:DE @7 46CE:7:65 42?5:52E6D 7@C E96 a_E9]k^Am

kAmQ&?56C DE2E6 =2H[ 2 42?5:52E6 H9@ 92D 7:=65 E96:C 564=2C2E:@? @7 42?5:524J :D ?@E A6C>:EE65 E@ H:E95C2H 2D 2 42?5:52E6 2E E92E AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?[Q :E DE2E65] Q|C] u@?8 7:=65 9:D 4@>A=6E65 ?@>:?2E:@? 5@4F>6?ED 7@C pDD6>3=J s:DEC:4E ba AC:@C E@ E96 4=@D6 @7 E96 s64] g[ a_ab 7:=:?8 5625=:?6]k^Am

kAmQ|C] u@?8 E96? DF3>:EE65 4@>A=6E65 ?@>:?2E:@? 5@4F>6?ED 7@C r@?8C6DD:@?2= s:DEC:4E a_ 5FC:?8 E96 7:G6\52J 6IE6?D:@? A6C:@5 EC:886C65 3J E96 :?4F>36?E'D 564:D:@? ?@E E@ D66C6\6=64E:@?] $E2E6 =2H AC@9:3:ED 2?J 42?5:52E6 7C@> 7:=:?8 ?@>:?2E:@? A2A6CD 7@C >@C6 E92? @?6 @77:46 2E E96 D2>6 6=64E:@?]Qk^Am

kAm$E2E6 6=64E:@? 4@56 D64E:@? gg__ DE2E6Di "}@ 42?5:52E6 H9@D6 564=2C2E:@? @7 42?5:524J 92D 366? 7:=65 7@C 2?J AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@? >2J H:E95C2H 2D 2 42?5:52E6 2E E92E AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?]" %96 4@56 2=D@ D2JD 42?5:52E6D >2J ?@E 36 =:DE65 2D CF??:?8 7@C >@C6 E92? @?6 @77:46]k^Am

kAm{@42= #6AF3=:42? DEC2E68:DE r2E9J p36C?2E9J D2:5 3J 6>2:= E96 DE2E6'D 7:G6\52J 6IE6?D:@? 36J@?5 E96 ?@C>2= 7:=:?8 5625=:?6 2==@H:?8 2?J@?6 E@ 7:=6 7@C :E :D :?E6?565 E@ 32=2?46 E96 A@H6C @7 :?4F>36?4J] $96 ?@E65 E96 =2H 5@6D ?@E DA64:7:42==J 6I4=F56 D@>6@?6 H9@ 92D 2=C625J 7:=65 7@C 2?@E96C @77:46]k^Am

kAmQ%9FD E96 =2H 5@6D ?@E 2?5 D9@F=5 ?@E 6I4=F56 2?J@?6 :?4=F5:?8 ':?46 u@?8 @C y@9? " !F3=:4 7C@> 7:=:?8 5FC:?8 E9:D 7:G6\52J 6IE6?D:@?[Q p36C?2E9J HC@E6]k^Am

kAmxE 92D 366? ?@E65 C646?E=J E92E[ :? yF?6 'hfg[ H96? :?4F>36?E #6A] (:==:2> z6E49F> H2D CF??:?8 7@C C66=64E:@? E@ r2=:7@C?:2'D 'gE9 r@?8C6DD:@?2= s:DEC:4E D62E — 2?5 E96? DF556?=J 5:65 — 9:D 6G6?EF2= DF446DD@C[ #6A] q:== %9@>2D[ H2D 2==@H65 E@ H:E95C2H 9:D 3:5 7@C C66=64E:@? E@ E96 DE2E6 pDD6>3=J]k^Am

kAm(@@5'D 42>A2:8? >2?286C[ }@C36CE@ v@?K2=6K[ 3=2>65 |4r2CE9J 7@C u@?8'D 5:=6>>2[ D2J:?8 :E C6A62E65 2 A2EE6C? DF886DE:?8 E92E "A6CD@?2= 2>3:E:@? @7E6? E2 E96 5JD7F?4E:@? 2?5 :?7:89E:?8 E92E :D E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ]"k^Am

kAmu@?8 D2:5 :? 2 A9@?6 :?E6CG:6H uC:52J 9:D 42>A2:8? 925 6?82865 :? "2 =@E @7 3242?5 7@CE9" H:E9 E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6'D ~77:46 E9:D H662?'D s64] e @A\65 A:646 :? E96 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2= 564=2C:?8 96 H@F=5 =62G6 @77:46 E9:D >@?E9]k^Am

kAm"x 5:5 ?@E 2? |4r2CE9J H2D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ F?E:= 96 F=E:>2E6=J 564:565 H92E E@ 5@[" 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm}6:E96C 5:5 u@?8 92G6 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 vC@G6 AC:@C E@ 96C 2??@F?46>6?E E92E D96 H@F=5 ?@E CF?[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm"$6?] vC@G6 H2D 2 7C:6?5] x H2D DFCAC:D65 H96? D96 564:565 ?@E E@ CF? 2D H6==[" u@?8 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E E96 C6DF=E 92D 364@>6 2 =:EE=6 492@E:4]k^Am

kAm"%96D6 564:D:@?D 2C6 H6:89EJ 564:D:@?D 2?5[ :? 724E[ W>256 3JX C62= 9F>2? 36:?8D[" 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm"%9:D :D ?@E E96 H2J E92E x AC@323=J H@F=5 92G6 6?G:D:@?65 >6 CF??:?8 7@C r@?8C6DD]"k^Am