U.S. House · California's 22nd Congressional District
Randy Villegas
CandidateD
- Race
- U.S. House · California's 22nd Congressional District
- Result
- Randy Villegas, projected winner
- Opponent
- David Valadao (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did5 statements · 0 votes
In Congress I'll fight for Medicare for All, take on big Pharma by negotiating the price of prescription drugs directly, bringing down costs like making insulin $35 for everyone.
Expand public health coverage
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 22
2026-11-03
| David Valadao R | incumbent |
| Randy Villegas D | challenger |
Advanced from the June 2 top-two primary with 32.4% of the vote, narrowly ahead of fellow Democrat Jasmeet Bains (26.9%)
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
In Congress I'll fight for Medicare for All, take on big Pharma by negotiating the price of prescription drugs directly, bringing down costs like making insulin $35 for everyone.
Supports Medicare for All and federal negotiation of prescription-drug prices, including capping insulin at $35.[3]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Opposes broad tariff trade wars, saying they hurt Central Valley farmers and businesses.
Documented position[3]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Raise the minimum wage
Calls for raising the minimum wage, noting that it has stayed at $7.25 an hour.[3]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
The current policies of blanket detention and deportation are unconstitutional and un-American.
Calls current policies of blanket detention and deportation unconstitutional and supports a path to citizenship for undocumented residents.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
The most effective and fair way to increase government revenue is to tax the top 1% of income earners and wealth holders, and give working families the break we’ve earned.
Calls for taxing the top 1% of income earners and wealth holders as the way to increase government revenue.[5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Democrat Randy Villegas won the election for California's 22nd Congressional District on November 3, 2026, defeating David Valadao, according to unofficial results, and is set to take office when the House term begins on January 3, 2027. A Bakersfield native and the son of immigrants, he teaches political science at College of the Sequoias and serves on the Visalia Unified School District board, and he previously worked as a journalist and community organizer.[1][2]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Villegas was born and raised in Kern County in a working-class family. The son of immigrants, he says he grew up in Bakersfield and attended Golden Valley High School, and he co-owns his family's auto shop, according to a KGET interview.[6][7][2] He earned an associate degree in political science from Bakersfield College in 2015 and a bachelor's degree in political science from California State University, Bakersfield, in 2017. He then earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Politics, with an emphasis in Latin American and Latino Studies, from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving the doctorate in 2022.[2][8]
Before graduate school Villegas worked as a journalist and community organizer in Bakersfield, and he has written articles and opinion pieces for outlets including the Los Angeles Times and the Bakersfield Californian. He teaches political science at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, where he was an associate professor as of 2021, and received the American Political Science Association's 2025 Community College Faculty Award.[8][9]
Villegas was provisionally appointed to the Visalia Unified School District board (Trustee Area 6) in December 2021 and was elected to the seat in November 2022. He says he has won pay increases for teachers and staff. According to the district's 2021 announcement, he has served on the boards of the nonprofits Power California and Alisal Community Arts Network and as a volunteer drumline instructor at a local high school.[8][9][2] He advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary. According to his Ballotpedia survey, he ran on Medicare for All, workers' rights and a pledge not to take corporate PAC money. His endorsements include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Dolores Huerta, the California Nurses Association, the California Teachers Association, the United Auto Workers, Latino Victory Fund and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.[2] He won the November 3, 2026 general election with 66.6% of the vote to David Valadao's 33.4%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]
In their own words
Priorities
- Names healthcare as his top priority, saying he will fight for Medicare for All, negotiate prescription-drug prices, and cap insulin costs at $35.[3]
- Supports passing the PRO Act to strengthen labor organizing rights and investing federal dollars in job training and small businesses in the Central Valley.[3]
- Opposes what he calls 'endless tariff trade wars' that he says hurt Valley farmers and businesses.[3]
Campaign money$2.6M raised · 93% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $2.4M
- PACs & committees $190K
Largest committee contributions
- Zinc Collective PAC PAC$23K
- Medicare for All PAC$10K
- Chc Bold PAC PAC$10K
- NEA Fund for Children and Public Education PAC$10K
- International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Political Action League PAC$7,500
- A New Policy PAC PAC$6,425
- Leaders We Deserve PAC$5,000
- Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC PAC$5,000
- Latino Victory Fund PAC$5,000
- Jane Fonda Climate PAC PAC$5,000
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/randy-villegas
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.California's 22nd Congressional District election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 2.Randy Villegas — Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 3.Randy Villegas — Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 4.Issues: Immigration · Villegas for Congress Candidate's own words
- 5.Issues: Jobs & The Economy · Villegas for Congress Candidate's own words
- 6.Meet Randy · Villegas for Congress Candidate's own words
- 7.The race for District 22: a one-on-one with Randy Villegas · KGET 17 News News report
- 8.Randy Villegas Receives the 2025 APSA Community College Faculty Award · Political Science Now (APSA) · 2025-08-13 News report
- 9.Visalia Unified School District Board Provisionally Appoints Randy Villegas to Trustee Area 6 Seat · Valley Voice · 2021-12-10 News report