Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) has secured another term in Congress, defeating Democrat Rudy Salas in a rematch of their 2022 race for California’s 22nd Congressional District, a crucial win for Republicans aiming to maintain their slim House majority, according to Decision Desk HQ projections.
Valadao’s victory is significant, considering he was running in a district that voted for President Biden by a comfortable margin in 2020, making him a prime target for Democrats. Despite the challenging political landscape, Valadao was able to rely on split-ticket voting, with Vice President Harris expected to carry the district. A poll from October indicated that Harris was leading former President Trump by 14 points in the district.
Although Valadao won the 2022 race by a narrow 3-point margin, he managed to hold onto his seat in this competitive district. Salas, a former California state Assembly member, was hoping to flip the seat in this election but ultimately fell short.
Valadao’s reelection is particularly notable because he is one of just two House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6th Capitol riot. The other is Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), who also won reelection on Thursday, as projected by Decision Desk/The Hill HQ.
Many of the eight other Republicans who voted to impeach Trump either chose not to run for reelection or lost their bids in the 2022 midterms. Trump supported primary challengers against several of these members, though he did not focus as much on ousting Valadao.
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