Randy Villegas told supporters in the Central Valley to keep pushing after California’s two U.S. senators joined him for a final get-out-the-vote effort against David Valadao. The Monday rally came in a redrawn 22nd Congressional District that has made the six-term Republican’s reelection path narrower.
Alex Padilla called it a battleground district for California and for the country. Under the new lines, the district would have gone for Donald Trump by only 1.5 percentage points, a smaller edge than the counties in the district gave him in 2024.
Central Valley turnout drive
Padilla, speaking after the rally Monday morning, said, "This is still very much a battleground district for California and for the country." Adam B. Schiff introduced himself as the Robin to Padilla’s Batman and told the crowd they "need a champion like Randy in Congress."
Villegas addressed the crowd in both English and Spanish and wore Converse at the rally. After the morning canvass kickoff, he said, "This is a district that we would’ve been competitive in regardless," and added, "Our message is one that has resonated across the political spectrum."
Redrawn 22nd District
Proposition 50 redrew the 22nd District to weaken Valadao’s chance of reelection. He lost the seat in 2018 during a Democratic takeover in President Donald Trump’s first term, then won it back in 2020 after losing by less than 1,000 votes.
Inside Elections lists the race as a Toss-up. The new map matters because a district that once tilted more comfortably to Trump now would have favored him by just 1.5 percentage points, leaving Valadao with less margin for error in a close race.
Abernathy on Valadao
Cathy Abernathy said Villegas is "too far" for the Central Valley, but she would not say she was confident Valadao could win. Matthew Martin called Valadao resilient and a fighter, saying, "David Valadao, he’s resilient. He’s a fighter. He has constantly gone against the odds".
The result now turns on votes still being counted in California, with the final stretch centered on turnout rather than persuasion alone. Whether the last push is enough to hold the seat in the redrawn district is the race’s remaining question.
