California Assemblyman Vince Fong maintained a sizable lead on March 11 in the race to fill the congressional seat vacated when former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy retired, as ballots continue to be counted.
The Bakersfield Republican, who fended off attempts by Secretary of State Shirley Weber to remove him from the ballot during his campaign, had 38 percent of the votes on March 11 after the primary election on Super Tuesday.
Mr. McCarthy endorsed Mr. Fong when he announced his intention to seek the 20th Congressional District post in December 2023. He also was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, in February.
Mr. Fong said he was “humbled and grateful” for the primary election votes.
“I am humbled and grateful that so many Central Valley residents have put their trust in me to represent them in Congress,” the candidate wrote in a March 6 post on X. ”While there are still many ballots to count, voters have sent a clear message that they are ready for experienced, trusted, tested leadership in Washington D.C.”
District 20 includes parts of Kern, Tulare, Kings, and Fresno counties.
In his campaign, Mr. Fong said he would fight for border security, fund water infrastructure, and protect the region’s energy producers.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, also a Republican, had 26 percent of the vote, ahead of Democrat Marisa Wood, at 22 percent.
“We’re encouraged by the current trajectory of results across all four counties, and are optimistic that remaining ballots continue this trend and advance Sheriff Boudreaux into a run-off in November,” Mr. Boudreaux’s campaign manager, Alex Tavlian, told The Epoch Times.
The Tulare County sheriff was endorsed by several current and former state representatives, many local elected officials, and regional Republican groups, including the California Republican Assembly.
He was also endorsed by members of President Trump’s Cabinet, including former Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell and former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Kash Patel.
California law allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked or dropped off at a ballot box on election day. Many of those remain uncounted.
If the results stand, Mr. Fong and Mr. Boudreaux will face each other in the general election on Nov. 5.
Although Ms. Wood didn’t make it into the top two slots, she said she was encouraged by voter turnout.
“Elections stand as a testament to our democratic process [and] we are uplifted by the voter turnout, which reaffirms our commitment to democracy,” Ms. Wood wrote in a March 6 post on X.
“Thank you for the overwhelming support from the Democrats who stood with me in this race. We still have the special election on [March] 19.”
The March 19 special election will determine which candidate will serve the remaining few months of the term of Mr. McCarthy, who resigned his seat in December 2023, following his ouster as House speaker. The term ends on Jan. 3, 2025.
Mr. Fong, Mr. Boudreaux, and Ms. Wood have all qualified for the special election ballot. Other Republican candidates are Anna Zoe Cohen, a high school employee; and Kyle Kirkland, a business owner.
Democrat Harmash Kumar, a clinical psychologist and businessman, is also qualified for the election, along with independent candidates James Cardoza, a real estate photographer; Ben Dewell, a scientist; and David Fluhart, a cannabis grower.
The candidate who garners the majority on March 19 will win the seat. If there is no majority winner, the two candidates with the most votes will face off again on May 21. The winner of that election will fill the seat through the end of the year.
