Randy Villegas

Randy Villegas is the Democratic nominee for California's 22nd District, a Bakersfield native and the son of immigrants who teaches political science at College of the Sequoias and serves on the Visalia Unified School District board. He previously worked as a journalist and community organizer. According to his Ballotpedia survey, he is running on Medicare for All, workers' rights and a pledge not to take corporate PAC money.[1]

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.[2][4][1] 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.[1][3]

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.[3][5]

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.[3][5][1] He advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary. 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.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.