Elect Rudy Salas to push CD-22 in the right direction.

The Position

Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.

The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.

The District

California’s 22nd Congressional District includes parts of Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties. Republicans typically hold this district. Of the registered voters in this district, 26% are Republican and 43% are Democrat, and the district’s demographic breakdown is 59% Latino, 4% Asian, and 6% Black. This district is considered to be one of the strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation. After the 2021 redistricting process, CD-22 is 1% more Democratic than it was during the 2020 general election cycle. The most recent election results show that CD-22 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 13 points and Gavin Newsom for governor in 2018 by 9 points. This seat is a top flip priority for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to retain control of the House.

The Race

This seat was previously held by Rep. Devin Nunes, a strong Trump ally. He resigned from Congress in January 2022, leaving the CD-22 seat open through the remainder of the term in November 2022. There are four candidates running for the seat, including Democrat Assm. Rudy Salas, Republican Congressman David Valadao, Republican Chris Mathys, and Republican Adam Medeiros. Assm. Salas’s campaign has raised $470,000, and is not funded by police, real estate, corporate PAC, or fossil fuel money. During his time in the Assembly, Salas was a frequent recipient of funds from a variety of problematic donors, including Big Oil, police, and real estate organizations. Rep. Valadao’s campaign has raised $1.9 million, and has received donations from real estate, fossil fuel, and corporate PAC funders. Mathys’s campaign has raised $349,000, and is funded primarily by individual donors. Medeiros’s campaign has raised $107,000, and is funded entirely by individual donors.

Rep. David Valadao, currently representing CD-21, was initially elected to Congress in 2012. He lost reelection in 2018, but returned to the seat in 2020. He voted with former President Trump 99% of the time, including a vote against H.R. 1, which would have reformed campaign-finance laws to get dark money out of politics. Despite his nonprogressive record, Rep. Valadao is a moderate Republican, and one of only ten GOP congressional members to vote in favor of impeaching former President Trump after the January 6 insurrection. This vote has resulted in challenges from the right, including Republican candidate Chris Mathys, who is suing the California Secretary of State for not allowing him to note his profession as “Trump Conservative/Businessman” on the official ballot.

The Recommendation

Assm. Rudy Salas, a Democrat, has served in the Assembly since 2012. He scores a Lifetime CS of 24 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Assm. Salas has supported few progressive bills that made it to a vote, opposing legislation related to criminal-justice reforms, corporate housing transparency, and accountability this term. He has been listed in the Courage Score Hall of Shame for the last seven years, and accepts donations from a variety of problematic funders.

Assm. Salas has shown a legislative commitment to civic and educational investment for constituents. He recently helped secure $15 million through the state budget for the establishment of the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center in Bakersfield. He has also introduced AB 58, which seeks to provide resources and training to schools to better support students who are at risk for suicide and self-harm.

The importance of retaining Democratic control of the House is critical, and Salas is the only Democrat in this race. We recommend that voters elect Salas and commit to holding him accountable for representing the constituents, not corporate interests he has long supported in the State Assembly.