Democrat Rudy Salas Will Face Gop Rep. David Valadao In November

BAKERSFIELD, California — Democrat Rudy Salas will face Republican Rep. David Valadao in November after the party narrowly avoided a nightmare lockout scenario in California’s Central Valley swing seat.

The win is a crucial component of Democrats’ quest to retake the House next year.

Salas, who fell just short of beating Valadao in the 2022 general election, faced an unexpected challenge this year from a fellow Democrat, state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, whose presence on the ballot forced the party to spend millions consolidating the vote in the final weeks leading up to the primary election.

Groups including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC spent nearly $2.4 million on advertising ahead of Tuesday, with powerful surrogates like Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Gov. Gavin Newsom assisting in fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts.

DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene, in a statement, called Salas "a leader who will fight for hardworking California families in Congress, and the right person to oust MAGA enabler Valadao."

Salas quickly built a comfortable lead on election night over Hurtado, who fell to fourth in the race and trailed her Democratic counterpart by double digits.

Speaking to a room of supporters at a union hall in Bakersfield on primary night, Salas took a shot a Valadao, saying he’s delivered more resources for the district as a state lawmaker.

“What kind of future do you want? Do you want somebody that's talking about something? Or do you want somebody that's actually delivering?

Valadao, faced his own intraparty challenger, “MAGA conservative” Chris Mathys. Republican groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network also spent big in the primary — dropping more than $1.5 million on ads touting Valadao’s tough stances on border issues and support for law enforcement.