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Latino Support Up for Grabs as David Valadao Faces Backlash in the Central Valley [New York Times]

The New York Times reports that “control of Congress may well run through California’s Central Valley,” where David Valadao “has a serious battle on his hands this year.”

In one of the country’s largest farming regions with a growing Latino electorate – the race for CA-22, where Valadao “is facing significant headwinds, will test the depths of Latino discontent.” Voters are increasingly fed up with Valadao’s record on health care, immigration, and alignment with an administration failing to address their top economic concerns.
The New York Times: Latino Support for Trump Is Up for Grabs in California Farm Country

  • “Across California’s seven competitive congressional districts, at least one in five people are Latino. And nowhere is their power more potent than in the 22nd District.”
  • “Interviews with voters, strategists, community leaders and elected officials make it clear Mr. Valadao has a serious battle on his hands this year.”
  • “Prognosticators at the Cook Political Report recently switched their assessment of the district… from ‘leans Republican’ to ‘tossup.’”
  • “Mr. Valadao…will… face a difficult battle, no matter which Democrat he faces. It is seen as one of the most competitive districts in the country.”
  • “Democrats have criticized Mr. Valadao for being largely silent about the Trump administration’s deportation tactics. His critics have put up yard signs attacking him for his vote on the president’s massive bill that cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and other programs for the poor.”
  • “That line of attack could be especially salient in the district, where roughly two-thirds of residents rely on Medi-Cal… Mr. Valadao declined to be interviewed for this story.”

Even Republican voters and longtime supporters in the Valley are voicing frustration:

  • Vincent Martinez, a conservative city councilman in Wasco, said: “We have a president who is out of control, but too many Republicans just want to turn a blind eye to that.”
  • “Most of all, Latino voters say, they are eager for officials in Washington to pay attention to their pleas for help.”
  • Two-time Trump voter Joe Garcia “created the California Farmworker Foundation with the help of agricultural leaders in the region, to provide workers with health and education programs…Now, he said, those same leaders have grown frustrated because White House officials and members of Congress have mostly ignored them.”
  • “‘We always say we feed the world, but we can’t get anyone to really listen to us…We just have a lot of fear and frustration.’” 

The Times notes that the Central Valley is emerging as “a microcosm of a larger political shift taking place across the country,” with Latino voters driving key Democratic gains nationwide.

DCCC Spokesperson Anna Elsasser: 
“David Valadao built his brand on ‘independence,’ but Latino voters see through his lies and empty promises. When it matters most, he sides with his party, voting to gut health care and staying silent as Central Valley families struggle. Latino voters are paying attention, and they’re ready for leadership that actually fights for them.”

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