Villegas Leads Bains in CA-22, Raising Questions About DCCC Strategy Against Valadao
A Villegas victory over the DCCC-backed candidate would likely fuel criticism from progressives who assert that the Democratic establishment misread the priorities of rank-and-file voters
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The battle for second place in California's 22nd Congressional District has emerged as one of the most closely watched Democratic primary contests in the state, with Democratic candidate Randy Villegas holding a notable lead over fellow Democrat Jasmeet Bains as ballot counting continues.
According to the California Secretary of State's latest unofficial results released Friday evening, Villegas had received 15,013 votes, or 30.4 percent, compared with Bains' 12,926 votes, or 26.2 percent. Incumbent Republican Rep. David G. Valadao led the field with 21,408 votes, or 43.4 percent.
Under California's top-two primary system, the top two finishers will advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation. While thousands of ballots remain uncounted, Villegas currently appears positioned to secure the second-place spot and challenge Valadao in November.
If the results hold, the outcome could become a source of self-auditing for national Democratic strategists.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Bains before the primary, signaling that national party leaders viewed the physician and state assemblymember as their preferred challenger to Valadao. Yet Democratic voters appear to have favored Villegas, a progressive candidate who campaigned on economic populism and argued that party leaders have become disconnected from working-class voters.
A Villegas victory over the DCCC-backed candidate would likely fuel criticism from progressives who assert that the Democratic establishment misread the priorities of rank-and-file voters. It would also raise questions about whether the early endorsement inadvertently harmed Bains by associating her with a national Democratic apparatus that remains unpopular with many Democratic voters.
The result would be particularly noteworthy because defeating Valadao has long been a central objective of national Democrats.
Despite representing a district that is majority Latino and generally leans Democratic in voter registration, Valadao has repeatedly survived Democratic challenges and maintained a political coalition capable of winning crossover support. His resilience has frustrated Democratic strategists for years.
Valadao has become something of the Democratic Party's "white whale" — a political version of Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick." Election cycle after election cycle, Democrats have invested resources and recruited candidates in hopes of unseating him, only to see the Republican incumbent remain afloat.
Should Villegas advance, Democrats would face a new test: determining whether a more progressive, economically focused message can succeed where previous attempts have failed.
