Poll Reveals Salas Leads Valadao by Eight Points

A press release from Rudy Salas for Congress

A  new poll in the race for California’s 22nd Congressional District shows incumbent Republican David Valadao trailing Democrat Assemblyman Rudy Salas by eight points and earning only 35% of the vote – a dangerous position for any incumbent. The poll was conducted by David Binder Research and shared exclusively with Politico, who noted that, after redistricting, David Valadao is facing a difficult general election in a district that swung towards President Joe Biden by 13 points in 2020.

The survey results showing Salas with a lead are consistent with the results of the Assemblymember’s past elections. In 2020, Salas outperformed President Biden by 4.6 points and Congressman TJ Cox by 10.6 points in the overlapping portions of his Assembly District and the new CA-22.

“I am honored to have the support of so many Central Valley working families who know that I wake up everyday working to do the most amount of good for the most amount of people. As I have done in the Assembly and unlike what Valadao has done in Congress, I will fight to lower costs, make healthcare and lifesaving prescriptions drugs more affordable, and make drinking water safer for Central Valley families,” said Assemblyman Rudy Salas.

“We are already seeing David Valadao and national Republicans running scared,” said Abby Olmstead, Campaign Manager. “From putting ads up on TV in a primary that he should’ve won handidly, to almost not making it through the primary with more Republicans voting against him than for him, Valadao is vulnerable and our polling indicates that.”

This poll follows Salas’ strong performance in the California primary, where he significantly outperformed David Valadao by nearly 20 points, and led in every county in the district. Salas’ campaign has only built momentum since the June primary, outraising David Valadao in the post-primary fundraising quarter. Rudy Salas has the message, record, and campaign operation needed to win.

With fewer than 100 days before the November midterms, California’s 22nd Congressional District is a key battleground that will determine which party holds the majority this November.

Born and raised in the Central Valley, Assemblymember Salas is a lifelong Valley resident who worked his way from laboring in the fields with his father to graduating from UCLA and becoming the first Latino Bakersfield City Councilmember in its 112-year history.

In his five terms in the California State Assembly, Rudy Salas has stood by his commitment to take a stand for Central Valley families and deliver for the region. Salas has been a steadfast voice for the Valley in the state capitol, fighting for more public safety funding, expanding workforce development programs, developing veterans’ and workers’ rights, clean water infrastructure, and support for our small business community. In the past year alone, Assemblymember Salas secured $50 million of dedicated investments for Central Valley projects that will expand local nursing programs and construct an emergency response center, a cooling center, a clean water well, a new building at Bakersfield College – Delano campus, and secured millions for our local students and colleges. Additionally, Assemblymember Salas helped save Kern Medical Hospital from closing its doors and was instrumental in ensuring small business assistance and protective equipment got to residents and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Assemblymember Salas is ready to take on this formidable challenge and flip California’s 22nd Congressional District to ensure Central Valley residents have the voice and respect that they deserve in Washington. California’s 22nd congressional district, Democrats hold an 18.1-point registration advantage over Republicans (44.6% to 26.5%). According to Census voting age population (VAP) statistics the district is 69.3% Hispanic, making it the district with the highest Hispanic population in the state.  President Biden won this district in 2020 with 56.2% of the major party vote, a 12.3-point margin, the second widest margin for any seat held by a congressional Republican in the state and third widest in the nation.

Upon launching his campaign, Politico described Salas as “Valadao’s greatest threat,” while the AP said this campaign “could help tilt House control.” In 2020, Salas outperformed both Democrats above him on the ballot, cementing his reputation for consistently winning the toughest fights.