| David Valadao brands himself as the “local dairy farmer,” representing a region that produces a quarter of the nation’s food. Yet new reporting shows growing frustration among farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers over Valadao’s support for reckless policies driving up costs and hurting the Valley’s agricultural economy.
This Congress alone, Valadao voted nine separate times to protect price-spiking tariffs, hurting Valley agriculture. He has downplayed the impact of the Iran war surging shipping, fuel and fertilizer costs. He refused to oppose the Administrations’ push to increase beef imports from Argentina despite industry backlash, and backed extreme immigration policies that have left farmworkers afraid to go to work over deportation fears.
Farmers and Republicans alike are raising alarms:
- “‘David Valadao’s vote could be the one that gives Trump the power,’ said Don Cameron, a longtime Fresno County farmer who lives in Valadao’s district.”
- “It’s been a difficult 16 months,” said Cameron…who noted that surging fuel prices have hit the industry at a particularly difficult time. “We use a tremendous amount of diesel for harvest, and it just puts another stress on us.”
- The American Farm Bureau Federation…wrote a letter begging Trump to send the U.S. Navy to escort crucial fertilizer shipments out of the Middle East.
- “We are deeply concerned that failure to act could lead to disruptions to the food supply chain not seen since 2022…” – Zippy Duvall, the group’s president.
- Non-white and non-English-speaking farmers have been hit especially hard.
- “I don’t…think Republicans are really interested in promoting and investing in Latino farmers. We don’t have a relationship with Valadao.” – Benny Corona, Latino Farmers and Ranchers International.
- Villegas and Democrats hope Valadao’s continued denial of the impacts of tariffs and the Iran war strikes constituents as wildly out of touch.
- That would be enough to overcome any cross-party appeal, argues Republican political consultant Mike Madrid: “I think he’s very likely to lose this year.”
Meanwhile, Randy Villegas is standing up for the Valley’s farm economy:
- “[Villegas] argues that since farmworkers are the engine that powers the Central Valley’s economy, it’s past time for a son of Mexican immigrant farm laborers to represent that community in Congress.”
- “…Anybody in the Valley will tell you that workers and agriculture are struggling right now because of Valadao and this administration.”
- “He’s looking out for his billionaire buddies…He doesn’t actually care about the agricultural industry here in the Valley.” – Villegas
DCCC Spokesperson Anna Elsasser:
“David Valadao has turned his back on farmers, growers, ranchers, and farmworkers to side with his party in D.C. Randy Villegas is a son of the Valley who understands what’s at stake and will fight for the workers, families, and agricultural economy that power the Valley. Voters are ready to turn the page on Valadao’s empty rhetoric and failed record.”
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