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Two Democrats Are Fighting for the Chance to Flip California’s Only Toss-Up House Race

Two Democrats vying for the opportunity to unseat the incumbent in one of the country's most competitive House races.
Randy Villegas, running for California's 22nd Congressional District, said his campaign manager wants him to take frequent selfies for their social media while walking neighborhoods in Bakersfield, CA on Saturday, May 23, 2026.  (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Democrats have long had their sights on Congressional District 22 in the Central Valley, where Republican Rep. David Valadao has managed to hold onto the Democratic-leaning district for most of the past 13 years. Cook Political Report lists it as the only toss-up House race in the state after last year’s redistricting measure flipped five Republican-held seats blue.

Now, two Democrats are competing for the chance to face Valadao in the November general election: moderate state Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains and progressive college professor Randy Villegas. CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller joins Scott, Marisa and Guy to break down the key differences between the candidates, their campaign attacks and the issues that matter most to voters in the district.

a white man sites to the right of an Indian woman with another woman sitting to the left as they sit behind a table and listen to a man speak.
State Assembly candidate Jasmeet Bains hosts a roundtable with local leaders in the town of McFarland after an uptick in gang-related violence in the community on Oct. 14, 2022. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters-CatchLight Local)

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For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.

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