Your guide to the California Congressional District 22 race: Rep. David Valadao vs. Rudy Salas
California Republican Dave Valadao is trying to make big gains in the US Congress in the Republican wave of 2018. First elected to the Congress in 2006, he’s up for reelection this year. He’s now facing a challenge from Democrat Rudy Salas, who is running as an independent candidate for the House.
So how did Valadao get to now be in a fight for his political life?
In the 2018 election cycle, the biggest prize for a Republican up for reelection is the seat of US Congress in the state of California; Valadao holds it.
But Valadao is also the first candidate for office to run as an independent candidate, rather than as a member of a traditional party. He’s had a tough time since becoming a Republican, and voters in California don’t seem to agree with him.
On one side is Rep. David Valadao, who represents the 23 district in Northern California. He’s up for reelection again this year. On the other side is Rudy Salas, who’s running as an independent candidate. Salas is running not as Republican, but as a Democrat. He’s running with his own campaign, and not with the Democratic party.
And in the district, the candidates have been separated by 2,000 votes, where the Republican went from first to win an open seat in 2006 to a victory over an insurgent candidate in 2010.
How has the US Congress changed in the last decade?
We asked a team of local journalists to get behind the two candidates running for Congress.
The candidates are Dave Valadao, a Republican congressman from the 23rd Congressional District, and Salas, a Democrat running as an independent candidate from the 23rd Congressional District.
Randy Garcia: I’m a political reporter and I’m really passionate about these two candidates. I
