Dueling Calif. Democrats battle to unseat longtime GOP incumbent

A powerful national Democratic group chose a moderate-leaning doctor as its pick to help flip a conservative Central Valley congressional district this year. But that has ruffled the feathers of another Democrat in the running.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this week put Jasmeet Bains, a state legislator, on its “Red to Blue” list — a group of congressional candidates the DCCC is confident can flip certain competitive districts. She is the only California Democrat to make the list. 

The financial backing that will come with this leading up to the June 2 primary will likely position her as a more competitive candidate.

Bains jumped into the race in the 22nd Congressional District last April against Republican Rep. David Valadao, a six-term congressman who has kept his slice of the Central Valley a steady GOP haven for years. Bains entered the race and made healthcare her No. 1 priority. She says her medical expertise is why she’s the qualified candidate to keep healthcare services intact after Valadao’s vote last summer in favor of the Big Beautiful Bill, which included massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.

With Bains’ support from the DCCC, the race between Bains and Valadao can shape up to be a competitive one.

Then there is Randy Villegas, a political newcomer, who is the third and only progressive candidate in the race. He is a college professor and was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, farmworker union organizer Dolores Huerta and the Working Families Party. He held a rally on Tuesday after the DCCC news and told a crowd of supporters that the Central Valley “has lost faith in politicians from both parties who sold us out to corporate interests and who put them ahead of us.”

“Who is my opponent with? Who is Jasmeet Bains with? The one who Washington insiders are trying to force down our throats? Bains is with the insurance companies, the same ones who want her to win so they can continue to rip us off,” he said.

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It’s unclear how much the infusion of money will factor into the race. Since he was first elected to Congress in 2012, Valadao has kept a firm grip on his seat, with the exception of when he narrowly lost against a Democrat for a single term in 2018. In 2024, Democrat Rudy Salas spent millions on a campaign against Valadao and still managed to lose. He is in the running again this year but has fundraised substantially less.

The district contains agricultural pockets that run through three counties in the San Joaquin Valley and includes a major city, Bakersfield, as well as smaller ag-centric communities like Shafter, Hanford and Wasco. The district is heavily Latino and also is home to more Medi-Cal recipients than any other district. 

Both Villegas and Bains have roughly the same amount of cash in hand, just above $700,000 each, according to campaign finance records. Valadao, on the other hand, has nearly $3 million at his disposal. 

Even without the financial backing of the DCCC, Villegas, as a progressive trying to push out a Republican, would likely still have a hard time appealing to the moderate voter base here. 

Following a 2021 redistricting, the district now carries a 14-point Democratic registration advantage. Even so, Valadao has managed to win over voters through his moderate policies, election after election. Bains could try to appeal to the same voter base. She told CalMatters in February that she is “faithful to her district, not a party,” and that is likely the exact attitude that could help her gain the support of even some of Valadao’s most loyal voters.