Valadao, Salas 22nd Congressional District

Republican Rep. David Valadao will face Democrat Rudy Salas again in the 2024 race in California^nd The congressional district race is expected to be among the toughest House elections in the state.

As of 8:57 p.m. PT, Valadao is leading with 53.8% of the vote and Salas is leading with 46.2%, about 40% of the estimated vote.

Salas, 47, is a Bakersfield native who served on the City Council before becoming a member of the State Assembly from 2012 to 2022. Valadao, 47, was also a member of the state Assembly from 2010 to 2012 and first joined Congress from 2012 to 2018. After a re-election bid in 2018, he secured the seat again in 2020 and has remained there since.

The San Joaquin Valley District includes portions of Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in the largely agricultural area that includes Hanford, Delano and parts of Bakersfield and Tulare. Voter turnout in the 22nd District was particularly low in 2022, with 34% of registered voters. Nationwide, 51% took part in the election.