Today, former California Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) officially announced his rematch against David Valadao in California’s 22nd District with the release of a hard-hitting video outlining the clear contrast in this race. Salas has been described as a “white whale” Democratic candidate because of his powerful personal story, long record of delivering for Central Valley families, and history of out-performing other Democrats on the ballot.
“My time in service has been dedicated to fighting for the people who grow our food, produce our gas, teach our children, and care for our seniors, “ said Rudy Salas. “In the Assembly, I won overtime for farm workers, lowered the cost of medicine, and made drinking water safer. I was the only Assembly Democrat to vote against the gas tax and I stood up against leaders in my own party to increase funding for law enforcement and protect oil and gas jobs.
“David Valadao says one thing in the Valley and then does the opposite when he’s in Washington. My message is clear: David Valadao’s votes for higher prescription drug prices and healthcare costs are an attack on our wallets and Valadao’s support for criminalizing abortion, including for the victims of rape, is an attack on our personal freedoms. Central Valley families aren’t going to stand for it anymore.”
California’s 22nd district is one of several districts most likely to flip in 2024. Biden carried the district by the 2nd largest margin of any House District in the country and it is the most Democratic district held by a Republican based on voter registration. In 2022, Salas needed only 1,567 more votes to flip this seat in a historically low turnout midterm cycle. In a presidential cycle with significantly higher turnout, Salas enters the race in a very strong position.
In his 2020 Assembly race, Rudy outperformed Democrats TJ Cox by 9.5% and Biden by 3.6%. In 2022, he outperformed Gavin Newsom by 1.2% despite Newsom not facing a competitive challenge. Rudy’s consistent overperformance of Democrats further clarifies why his candidacy makes this a top Democratic pickup opportunity in 2024.
Further, California’s 22nd district is 61.8% Latino – the most Latino district in California. Rudy is running to become the first-ever Central Valley Latino in Congress.
Born and raised in the Central Valley, Rudy Salas is a lifelong Valley resident, working 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 the Assembly, Rudy Salas was a tireless and effective advocate for Central Valley families. Salas delivered clean drinking water projects, won overtime pay for farmworkers, expanded veterans’ and workers’ rights, and delivered for our small business community. Salas secured millions for Valley projects that will expand local nursing programs, build an emergency response center, a cooling center, a clean water well, and a new building at the local college. Additionally, Salas led the fight to save FFA (Future Farmers of America) educational programs for the State, delivered millions to combat Valley Fever and he authored legislation that saved the local hospital from closing its doors so that thousands of rural families did not lose access to life-saving care.