Mccarthy's Chosen Successor Advances To November Election

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s chosen successor, California Assemblymember Vince Fong, will advance to the November election after establishing a commanding lead in the top-two primary election.

The second-place winner has yet to be called, though as of Monday, Republican Mike Boudreaux was leading Democrat Marisa Wood by more than 3 points.

The race to replace McCarthy after his abrupt resignation has proven to be unexpectedly dramatic in one of the state’s few reliably red seats, magnifying major fissures within the GOP that helped doom McCarthy’s speakership.

Fong had jumped in late after initially saying he would not run, and has had to contend with multiple Republican opponents, despite winning the endorsements of McCarthy, California’s Republican House delegation and former President Donald Trump.

Fong’s allies had tried to elevate Wood, his Democratic rival, in order to avoid such an intraparty fight.

Boudreaux has countered Fong’s establishment support with a series of local endorsements that include state Sen. Shannon Grove — a pointed snub of Fong, who won Grove’s old seat and represents the same area.