Summary
Current Position: US Representative of CA District 21 since 2019
Affiliation: Republican
District: most of Kings County and parts of Tulare and Kern Counties.
Upcoming Election:
Quotes:
It’s time we put people before fish. My second amendment would codify the 2019 BiOps, following the most accurate, best available science. Following the science really should be a no-brainer, but the Majority party voted no
California Rep. David Valadao (21st District) votes to impeach President Donald Trump
OnAir Post: David Valadao CA -22
News
About
Source: Government
Congressman David G. Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, California in the center of the agriculturally rich Twenty-Second Congressional District. As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, he has been active in agriculture and dairy industry groups, as well as many local charities.
The Valadao family emigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal to the United States in 1969. After settling in the Central Valley, Valadao’s father started a small dairy farm in the Central Valley in 1973. Valadao was born on April 14, 1977.
The family business now consists of two dairies, as well as over 1,000 acres of farmland in Kings and western Tulare County, on which Valadao and his family grow almonds, alfalfa, corn, and wheat as dairy feed stock.
Intimately involved in the dairy industry, Valadao has taken on leadership roles within the California Milk Advisory Board, and Western States Dairy Trade Association. In addition, he was elected as Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
Valadao attended local schools, graduating from Hanford High School in 1995 and later attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. Valadao married his high school sweetheart, Terra, in 1999. Together, they have three beautiful children.
In 2010, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 30th State Assembly District. Valadao served on several California Assembly Committees including the Agriculture Committee, where he held the position of Committee Vice-Chair.
In 2012, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 21st Congressional District, which included Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties. He was reelected for his second term in November 2014. In November 2016, Valadao was elected to serve a third term. In 2020, Valadao was elected to return to Washington to serve in the House of Representatives. Due to redistricting, Rep. Valadao was reelected to serve his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for California’s 22nd Congressional District, which includes Kings, Kern, and Tulare Counties.
In all of Rep. Valadao’s five terms in Congress, Valadao has served on the influential House Appropriations Committee, which is the committee responsible for funding the federal government and determining where American tax dollars are spent.
Since he came to Congress, Valadao has established himself as a leader in agriculture and water policy, two important issues for his constituents in CA-22. His time in Congress has been focused on combating the water issues impacting California’s Central Valley and ensuring Congress does everything in their power to provide relief for the farmers, families, and entire communities suffering from the ongoing water shortages due to drought and years of water mismanagement.
Valadao’s work on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Committee has fostered his interest in ensuring our active duty military members have the tools and services they need to defend our nation and keep Americans safe. Valadao worked hard to ensure Naval Air Station Lemoore was named the location for the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet of the F-35C aircraft. Valadao is also dedicated to keeping our promises to our nation’s veterans by making sure those who served our country are taken care of in their retirement years and receive the best quality healthcare available.
Personal
Full Name: David G. Valadao
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Terra; 3 Children
Birth Date: 04/14/1977
Birth Place: Hanford, CA
Home City: Hanford, CA
Religion: Catholic
Source: Vote Smart
Education
Attended, College of the Sequoias, 1996-1998
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 22, 2023-present
Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 21, 2012-2019, 2021-2023
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 22, 2022
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 21, 2020
Assembly Member, California State Assembly, District 30, 2010-2012
Professional Experience
Managing Partner, Valadao Dairy, present
Former Chair, Regional Leadership Council, Land O’ Lakes, Incorporated
Offices
Washington, DC Office
1728 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4695
Bakersfield District Office
2700 M Street
Suite 250B
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: (661) 864-7736
Fax: (833) 284-9090
Hanford District Office
107 South Douty Street
Hanford, CA 93230
Phone: (559) 460-6070
Fax: (559) 584-3564
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Election Results
To learn more, go to the wikipedia section in this post.
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
The House Committee on Appropriations
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the government of the United States. As such, it is one of the most powerful of the committees, and its members are seen as influential. They make Rthe key decisions about the work of their committees: when their committees meet, which bills they will consider, and for how long.
The Appropriations committee is widely recognized by political scientists as one of the “power committees,” since it holds the power of the purse. It is one of the exclusive committees of the House, meaning its members typically sit on no other committee. Much of the power of the committee comes from the inherent utility of controlling spending. Its subcommittee chairmen are often called “Cardinals” because of the power they wield over the budget.
Congressman Valadao serves on three subcommittees:
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Agriculture, the Farm Credit Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over military construction and housing programs within the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as other agencies.
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development
The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, as well as other agencies.
Read more about the Appropriations Committee here.
The House Committee on Budget
The jurisdiction of the House Budget Committee is derived from the Budget Act as well as House Rule X. This jurisdiction is protected under the Budget Act, which states that no bill, resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report dealing with any matter within the jurisdiction of the Budget Committee shall be considered in the House unless it is a bill or resolution that has been reported by the Budget Committee or unless it is an amendment to a bill or resolution reported by the Budget Committee.16 House Rule X, clause 1(d) states that the Budget Committee will have jurisdiction over the concurrent resolution on the budget; other matters required to be referred to it pursuant to the Budget Act; establishment, extension, and enforcement of special controls over the federal budget; and the budget process generally.
Over the years, the duties and responsibilities of the Budget Committee have been established in statute, as well as House Rules. The Budget Committee’s responsibilities generally fall under the following categories: the budget resolution, reconciliation, budget process reform, oversight of the Congressional Budget Office, revisions of allocations and adjustments, and scorekeeping.
Read more about the Budget Committee here.
New Legislation
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
California’s 22nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is represented by David Valadao, who formerly represented California’s 21st congressional district from 2013 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023. As of 2023, this district, alongside New York’s 4th, is the most Democratic-leaning congressional district represented by a Republican, with a partisan lean of D+5.[2] It was also one of 18 districts that would have voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Republican in 2022.
Following redistricting in 2021, the district is still in the San Joaquin Valley. It includes most of Kings County and parts of Tulare and Kern Counties. It includes the east side of Bakersfield; the west and south sides of Tulare, the south side of Hanford; and all of Porterville, Lindsay, Shafter, Wasco, Delano, McFarland, Arvin, Lamont, and Corcoran.[3] The new 22nd is a majority-Latino district.
Wikipedia
David Goncalves Valadao (/ˌvæləˈdeɪoʊ/ VAL-ə-DAY-oh; born April 14, 1977) is an American politician and dairy farmer serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 22nd congressional district since 2023. His district comprises part of the San Joaquin Valley. A member of the Republican Party, Valadao first won election in 2012 in California’s 21st congressional district, defeating Democratic nominee John Hernandez.[1] He was reelected in 2022, defeating Democrat Rudy Salas. Before his election to Congress, Valadao served one term in the California State Assembly, representing the 30th district from 2010 to 2012.
Valadao was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump during Trump’s second impeachment[2][3][4] and one of two of those Republicans to be renominated and reelected, along with Dan Newhouse.
Early life and education
Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, California. His parents are Portuguese immigrants (original spelling Gonçalves Valadão); his father grew up on the Azores Islands. In a 2013 interview, Valadao said his parents were initially registered Democrats but later switched to the Republican Party.[5]
Valadao graduated from Hanford High School in 1995.[6] From 1996 to 1998[7] he attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia as a part-time student but did not graduate.[8]
Agriculture career and bankruptcy
Valadao’s father established a dairy farm in Kings County, California in 1969. Valadao and his brother became partners in Valadao Dairy in 1992.[8] He has been a member of the California Milk Advisory Board, Western States Dairy Trade Association, and Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes.[9]
In March 2018, Valadao, a general partner of Triple V Dairy, was named in two lawsuits against the dairy for defaulting on almost $9 million in loans and failing to pay a supplier.[10] In June 2018, a bank seized the dairy and sold it off to pay its debts. Valadao said, “Like so many family dairy farms across the country, burdensome government regulations made it impossible for the operation to remain open.”[11] After a lawsuit in 2019, Valadao agreed to pay $325,000 to former employees who claimed they had been denied breaks, minimum wage, and overtime pay.[12][13] The settlement was not paid due to Valadao and Triple V Dairy filing for bankruptcy.[13]
California State Assembly
Valadao announced his candidacy for California’s 30th State Assembly district after the 2010 retirement of Republican Assemblyman Danny Gilmore. He defeated Stephanie Campbell in the Republican primary, 78%–22%.[14] In the general election, he defeated Shafter Mayor Fran Florez, 61%–39%.[15][16]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2012
In August 2011, Valadao announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for California’s 21st congressional district.[17] The district had previously been the 20th District, represented by four-term Democrat Jim Costa, but redistricting had shifted most of the district’s share of Fresno to the new 16th District, and Costa sought reelection there.
In the June 5 open primary, he ranked first with 57% of the vote, ahead of Democrat John Hernandez – the head of the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – and Fresno City Councilman Blong Xiong.[18] In the November 6 general election he defeated Hernandez, 58%–42%.[19] A Wall Street Journal op-ed cited his victory in a district that had long been held by Democrats as a potential template for the GOP, while other analysts cited his opponent’s “weakness as a candidate and a campaigner” as playing a major role.[20]
2014
Valadao ran for reelection in November 2014. His challengers were Democrat Amanda Renteria, a former political aide to Dianne Feinstein and Debbie Stabenow,[21] and John Hernandez, the Democratic nominee Valadao defeated in 2012.[22] In the June 3 primary Valadao finished first once again with 63% of the vote, and received majorities of 60% or higher in every county except for Kern. In the November 4 general election, he was reelected with 58% of the vote.[23]
2016
Valadao ran for reelection to a third term in 2016. His first challenger was Democrat Daniel Parra, the mayor pro tem of Fowler, California.[24] Another Democratic challenger was Connie Perez, an accountant in Pasadena, California, who grew up in Tulare, but due to issues regarding her residency outside of the district, as well as an alleged recent change in party affiliation, Perez dropped out less than a month after announcing her candidacy.[25][26] In January 2016 Emilio Huerta, son of United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, announced his candidacy in the race as a Democrat.[27] In the June 7 primary Valadao finished first with 54% of the vote and Huerta finished second with 24.2%.[28][29] In the general election Valadao was reelected with 56.7% of the vote to Huerta’s 43.3%.[30]
2018
In 2018, Valadao was initially set to face Huerta again in a rematch, with Huerta announcing his bid in May 2017.[31] But in March 2018 Huerta suspended his campaign for lack of funds.[32][33] After Huerta’s withdrawal, engineer TJ Cox of Fresno announced that he would challenge Valadao.[34] Cox had previously announced a challenge to Republican Congressman Jeff Denham in the 10th district before switching to Valadao’s seat.[35]
Valadao declared victory on November 6 after the Associated Press initially called the race in his favor, but mail-in ballots gave Cox a very narrow lead. Cox officially won the race on November 28,[36] and Valadao conceded on December 6.[37] The final count showed that Cox won by 862 votes. It was one of the last U.S. House races to be decided in the 2018 cycle.[38]
2020
Valadao ran for and won his former seat in 2020,[39] defeating Cox in a rematch by 1,754 votes, 51% to 49%.[40] This came even as Joe Biden carried the district by ten points.[41]
2022
In June 2022, Valadao placed second in the open primary for California’s redistricted 22nd congressional district, advancing to the November general election.[42][43][44] Despite Valadao’s vote to impeach President Trump, Trump did not involve himself in Valadao’s primary and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy endorsed Valadao.[43][45] According to the Los Angeles Times, the GOP declined to support a challenger because Valadao holds a seat in a Democratic-leaning district that “can’t be won by any other Republican”.[46] Far-right Republican Chris Mathys ran in the primary. A Democratic campaign ad criticized Valadao for his impeachment vote, as part of a larger strategy of helping Mathys to make for higher chances of a Democratic candidate winning the seat.[47]
Valadao faced state assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat, in the November general election.[43] Valadao defeated Salas in the general election, 51% to 49%.[48] Valadao’s victory made him one of just two House Republicans who supported impeaching Donald Trump to remain in Congress after the 2022 election, alongside Dan Newhouse of Washington.[49]
2024
In the March 5, 2024 open primary, Valadao received approximately 33% of the vote to secure a place in the general election in November 2024.[50] Rudy Salas received the next highest percentage of votes, with approximately 31%, and will again be Valadao’s challenger.[50]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[51]
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, co-chair[52]
- American Sikh Congressional Caucus, co-chair[53]
- Republican Governance Group[54]
- Republican Main Street Partnership[55]
- Problem Solvers Caucus[56]
Political positions
In the 114th United States Congress, Valadao was ranked as the 42nd-most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy.[57]
Donald Trump
After Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in May 2016, Valadao said he would support his candidacy. He rescinded his support in June 2016, declining to endorse Trump and saying he could not support a candidate who “denigrates people based on their ethnicity, religion, or disabilities.”[58]
In February 2017, Valadao voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request ten years of Trump’s tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.[59]
FiveThirtyEight found that in the 115th and 117th United States Congresses, Valadao had voted in line with Trump’s stated position 96.8% of the time.[60]
On January 13, 2021, Valadao was one of ten Republicans who voted for the second impeachment of Donald Trump for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.[2][3] Valadao later said that despite misgivings about the process that the Democrats used to send the impeachment article to the floor, he felt he had to “go with my gut and vote my conscience” and vote to impeach. He called Trump a “driving force” behind the riots and concluded that his rhetoric at the rally preceding the riots was “un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense.”[61][62]
On May 19, 2021, Valadao was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[63]
Environment
In response to President Barack Obama‘s repeated assertion that the 2011 California drought was caused by global warming, Valadao said that “climate change has nothing to do with the drought” and that Obama administration regulations had worsened the drought.[64]
Foreign policy
In 2017, Valadao was blacklisted by Azerbaijan for taking part in a visit to Armenia and a disputed, breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.[65]
Health care
Valadao favored repealing the Affordable Care Act. On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal it and to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA).[66][67][68] He was one of three co-sponsors of a last-minute amendment that added $8 billion to fund high-risk pools for patients with pre-existing conditions.[69] The revised version of AHCA allowed states to get waivers to allow insurers to charge individuals with preexisting conditions more if the individual has had a gap in insurance coverage.[70]
In 2017, Valadao introduced H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, “to grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members who served in the territorial seas of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This would enable eligible veterans to receive expedited consideration for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits if they suffer from any of the diseases the U.S. Government has linked to Agent Orange.” In August 2017, Valadao and Representative Joe Courtney sent a letter urging the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans have access to medical care from the VA.[71] That same year, Valadao and Representative Jeff Denham introduced the Assessing Critical Care Efforts to Strengthen Services (ACCESS) Act. It would correct California’s Medicaid reimbursement method to encourage physicians to operate in the Central Valley and ensure patient access to doctors and specialists.[72] Also in 2017, Valadao and five other members of Congress introduced the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2017, which would reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program. It would expand existing programs at health centers and establish new teaching health centers.[73]
LGBTQ+ rights
In 2016, Valadao voted for a measure that banned discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors.[74] In 2015, Valadao did not join many other prominent California Republicans in signing a U.S. Supreme Court brief in favor of same-sex marriage.[75]
On July 19, 2022, Valadao and 46 other Republican U.S. representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[76]
Immigration
Valadao supports comprehensive immigration reform.[77][78]
In August 2014, he broke ranks with the Republican Party and voted against a bill that would have dismantled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[79]
On February 23, 2017, Valadao called for a bipartisan solution to the U.S. immigration system. Later in 2017, he and nine other lawmakers wrote to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan asking for legislation to address DACA’s future.[80]
In June 2018, Valadao released a statement about the Department of Justice’s “zero tolerance” policy, which involved separating children and parents at the Mexican border. “The substantial increase of minors at our southern border is both a humanitarian and national security crisis,” he wrote. “While we must work towards a solution that reduces the occurrence of illegal border crossings, it is unacceptable to separate young children from their parents. This is exactly why passage of a compromise solution, such as that being discussed in Congress right now, is absolutely necessary.”[81]
Joe Biden
FiveThirtyEight found that in the 117th United States Congress, Valadao had voted in line with Joe Biden‘s stated position 30.1% of the time.[82]
Tax reform
In December 2017, Valadao voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[83]
Free trade
Valadao has criticized the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs against Chinese steel and aluminum imports, which prompted China to impose retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. agriculture products. In May 2018, he sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressing concern over the tariffs’ impact on the Central Valley‘s economy, writing, “Not only do the proposed tariffs fail to adequately remedy China’s unfair practices, such tariffs seriously jeopardize our farmers’ access to export markets, which accounts for roughly twenty percent of their production.”[84]
Welfare and poverty
In 2013, Valadao was one of 15 House Republicans to vote against a Republican-backed bill to make deep cuts in food stamp spending.[85]
Electoral history
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | David Valadao | 27,251 | 57.0 | ||
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 10,575 | 22.1 | ||
| Democratic | Blong Xiong | 9,990 | 20.9 | ||
| Total votes | 47,816 | 100.0 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | David Valadao | 67,164 | 57.8 | ||
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 49,119 | 42.2 | ||
| Total votes | 116,283 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican win (new seat) | |||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 28,773 | 63.0 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Renteria | 11,682 | 25.6 | |
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 5,232 | 11.5 | |
| Total votes | 45,687 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 45,907 | 57.8 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Renteria | 33,470 | 42.2 | |
| Total votes | 79,377 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 37,367 | 54.0 | |
| Democratic | Emilio Huerta | 16,743 | 24.2 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Parra | 15,056 | 21.8 | |
| Total votes | 69,166 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 75,126 | 56.7 | |
| Democratic | Emilio Huerta | 57,282 | 43.3 | |
| Total votes | 132,408 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 34,290 | 62.8 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox | 20,293 | 37.2 | |
| Total votes | 54,583 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | TJ Cox | 57,239 | 50.4 | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 56,377 | 49.6 | |
| Total votes | 113,616 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao | 39,488 | 49.7 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox (incumbent) | 30,697 | 38.7 | |
| Democratic | Ricardo De La Fuente | 7,309 | 9.2 | |
| Republican | Rocky De La Fuente | 1,912 | 2.4 | |
| Total votes | 79,406 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao | 85,373 | 50.4 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox (incumbent) | 83,619 | 49.6 | |
| Total votes | 169,292 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 25,337 | 45.2 | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 14,331 | 25.6 | |
| Republican | Chris Mathys | 13,111 | 23.4 | |
| Republican | Adam Medeiros | 3,250 | 5.8 | |
| Total votes | 56,029 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 52,472 | 51.6 | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 49,196 | 48.4 | |
| Total votes | 101,668 | 100.0 | ||
Honors and awards
In August 2014, the United States Chamber of Commerce awarded Valadao its Spirit of Enterprise Award.[77] He won the same award again in 2016.[89]
Personal life
Valadao lives in Hanford with his wife Terra and their three children.[90] During his first tenure in the House, Valadao consistently ranked as the poorest member of Congress by net worth, with over $17.5 million in debt in 2018, mainly loans to his family’s dairy farm.[91][92]
References
- ^ “Former House Republican flips central California seat”. AP. November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ a b “10 GOP lawmakers vote to impeach Trump, trial moves to Senate”. FOX 35. January 13, 2021.
- ^ a b “These 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump on Wednesday”. CNN. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ [1], Roll Call Vote 17 of the first session of the 117th Congress on January 13, 2021.
- ^ “Rep. David Valadao is proof that the GOP can appeal to Hispanic voters”. May 6, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Cassandra Sandoval, David Valadao keeps Congress seat, Kinsburg Recorder (November 16, 2016).
- ^ VALADAO, David G., (1977 – ), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ a b Calif., 21st House District: David Valadao (R), The Atlantic (November 6, 2012).
- ^ “David Valadao Biography”. California State Assembly. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Calix, Brianna; Rep. David Valadao family’s dairy slapped with lawsuits, revealing financial trouble, Fresno Bee (March 13, 2018).
- ^ Garcia, Eric; Bank Seizes Valadao’s Family Farm,Roll Call (June 13, 2018).
- ^ “Bank seizes California Rep. David Valadao’s family dairy farm over unpaid loans”. Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Yeager, Joshua. “Cox, Valadao face questions in business dealings as race for 21st district heats up”. VisaliaTimesDelta.com. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ “CA State Assembly 30- R Primary Race – Jun 08, 2010”. Our Campaigns.
- ^ “CA State Assembly 30 Race – Nov 02, 2010”. Our Campaigns.
- ^ Wenner, Gretchen (November 3, 2011). “Florez loss bucks state trend”. Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ Nidever, Seth (August 2, 2011). “Valadao says he’s running for Congress”. Hanford Sentinel. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ “CA – District 21 – Open Primary Race – Jun 05, 2012”. Our Campaigns.
- ^ “CA – District 21 Race – Nov 06, 2012”. Our Campaigns.
- ^ Nidever, Seth (November 23, 2012). “Valadao win a ‘template’ for GOP?”. Hanford Sentinel. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ^ “Valadao, Vidak, Cannella off to strong fundraising start”. The Fresno Bee. February 3, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
- ^ “Election notebook: GOP releases poll showing Valadao well ahead”. Bakersfield Californian. February 13, 2014.
- ^ “U.S. House of Representatives District 21 – Districtwide Results”. November 17, 2014. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Cahn, Emily (April 6, 2015). “Democrat Announces Bid Against Valadao in California”. Roll Call. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Ellis, John (October 9, 2015). “Tulare County native Connie Perez enters 21st Congressional race”. The Fresno Bee. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ “Perez drops out of 21st race”. Central Valley Observer. November 3, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Panzar, Javier (January 6, 2016). “Emilio Huerta, son of labor icon, jumps into Central Valley congressional race”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
- ^ “U.S. House of Representatives District 21 – Districtwide Results”. California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ^ “United States Representatives Final Results” (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
- ^ “2016 General Election Results” (PDF). California Secretary of State. November 9, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Rasna Suri (May 31, 2017). “Emilio Huerta launches 2018 bid for California’s 21st Congressional District”. TurnTo23.com. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ Burger, James (March 5, 2018). “Huerta says he didn’t have the money to challenge David Valadao in Congressional campaign”. The Bakersfield Californian.
- ^ Rory Appleton (March 2, 2018). “Emilio Huerta won’t challenge David Valadao”. Fresno Bee. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ Rory Appleton (March 6, 2018). “David Valadao has a new challenger in 2018 congressional race”. Fresno Bee. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ John Holland (July 6, 2017). “T.J. Cox announces bid for Denham seat in House”. Modesto Bee. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ “TJ Cox beats Republican Rep. David Valadao to give Democrats gain of 40 House seats, seven in California”. Los Angeles Times. November 28, 2018.
- ^ Rodrigo, Chris Mills (December 6, 2018). “Rep. Valadao officially concedes in California race”. TheHill. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ Rakich, Nathaniel (November 27, 2018). “The Last Unresolved House Race Of 2018”.
- ^ “David Valadao hauls in over $530,000 in one month”. Hanford Sentinel. October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ California 2020 election results, ABC News, November 27, 2020.
- ^ Nir, David (December 14, 2020). “Lots of ticket-splitting powered three big Republican wins in California House races”. Daily Kos. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Morgen, Sam (March 22, 2022). “Here’s who is running for office in Kern County”. The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c “California GOP Rep. Valadao advances in US House district”. Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Ward, James (January 12, 2022). “David Valadao will run for newly drawn 22nd Congressional District”. VisaliaTimesDelta.com. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Mehta, Seema (June 26, 2022). “California Republican Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach Trump, survives primary”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ “California Rep. David Valadao voted to impeach. Can he keep his seat if Trump stays quiet?”. Los Angeles Times. May 23, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan (June 16, 2022). “Democrats’ Risky Bet: Aid G.O.P. Extremists in Spring, Hoping to Beat Them in Fall”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022.
- ^ “Rep. David Valadao wins reelection in endangered Central Valley congressional seat”. Los Angeles Times. November 22, 2022.
- ^ Lai, Stephanie (November 22, 2022). “David Valadao, a Republican Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Wins Re-election”. The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ a b “California 22nd Congressional District Primary Election Results”. The New York Times. March 5, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ “David G. Valadao”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ “Local congressional rep David Valadao appointed as co-chair of Armenian caucus”. The Leader. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Staff Reports (February 10, 2021). “Valadao to serve as co-chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus”. Hanford Sentinel. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Dent, Opinion by Charlie (January 14, 2021). “Opinion: Under Trump, the GOP may have lost its soul”. CNN. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ “Members”. Republican Mains Street Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
- ^ “Featured Members”. Problem Solvers Caucus. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ The Lugar Center – McCourt School Bipartisan Index (PDF), The Lugar Center, March 7, 2016, retrieved April 30, 2017
- ^ Razi Syed. “Rep. David Valadao has change of heart on Donald Trump”. Fresno Bee. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
- ^ “These are all the Republicans who don’t want you to see Donald Trump’s tax returns”. indy100. February 28, 2017. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ Tracking Congress in the Age of Trump, accessed September 25, 2018
- ^ “Congressman David G. Valadao Statement on Impeachment Vote”. U.S. Congressman David G. Valadao. January 13, 2021.
- ^ “Who are the House Republicans who voted to impeach?”. Los Angeles Times. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). “Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission”. CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ Barron-Lopez, Laura (August 17, 2014). “Calif. Dems balk at Obama climate talk”. The Hill. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ “Azerbaijan Blacklists Three U.S. Lawmakers For Visiting Nagorno-Karabakh”. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. September 23, 2017.
- ^ Soffen, Kim; Cameron, Darla; Uhrmacher, Kevin (May 4, 2017). “How the House voted to pass the GOP health-care bill”. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Przybyla, Heidi M. (May 4, 2017). “Health care vote puts pressure on dozens of vulnerable GOP reps”. USA Today. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ “Valley Republicans praised, scorned over vote to repeal Obamacare”. fresnobee. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ Hess, Jeffrey (May 9, 2017). “‘High-Risk Pools’ Have Been Tried Before In California. Did They Work?”. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ Seipal, Tracy (May 4, 2017). “California GOP delegation helps pass Obamacare repeal”. Mendocino Beacon. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ Wentling, Nikki (June 26, 2018). “House Approves Benefits for Blue Water Navy Veterans”. Military.com.
- ^ Ibarra, Ana (June 22, 2017). “Calif. GOP Congressmen Aim To Boost Medicaid Pay For Doctors After Votes To Slash Program”. California Healthline.
- ^ “House leaders introduce a bill to continue bringing physicians to underserved areas”. Ripon Advance. Ripon Advance News Service. July 27, 2017.
- ^ McPherson, Lindsey (May 26, 2016). “In Reversal, House Backs LGBT Anti-Discrimination Measure”. Roll Call. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ Abeytia, Aaron (March 6, 2015). “Conservatives Sign Court Brief Backing Gay Marriage”. KMJ-AF1. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Schnell, Mychael (July 19, 2022). “These are the 47 House Republicans who voted for a bill protecting marriage equality”. The Hill. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Joseph, Cameron (August 25, 2014). “Chamber gives pro-immigration Rep. Valadao its top award”. The Hill. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
- ^ Syed, Razi (June 29, 2016). “Rep. David Valadao has change of heart on Donald Trump”. Fresno Bee.
- ^ Foley, Elise (August 1, 2014). “House Votes To Strip Deportation Relief From Dreamers”. The Huffington Post.
- ^ “Rep. Valadao and colleagues send president letter urging support for DACA”. KMPH. August 25, 2017.
- ^ Appleton, Rory (June 20, 2018). “Valadao switches from moral outcry to letter of the law with survey”. Fresno Bee.
- ^ Wiederkehr, Anna; Bycoffe, Aaron (October 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). “How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill”. The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ Rep. Valadao Urges Administration To Reverse Proposed Tariffs; Public Now; May 7, 2018; http://www.publicnow.com/view/E1C76B33599DC6BFB590A20489CDE45D4530F743
- ^ Michael Doyle; John Ellis (September 29, 2013). “Congressional hopeful Amanda Renteria wants to give Valley ‘a strong voice’“. McClatchy Washington Bureau.
- ^ “2018 California primary election results” (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ “2018 California general election results” (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ “STATEMENT OF VOTE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 3, 2020” (PDF). California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Anna R. Vetter (March 16, 2016). “U.S. Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Valadao with Spirit of Enterprise Award” (Press release). Congressman David G. Valadao.
- ^ “About David”. Valadao for Congress. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ “Majority of Congress members now millionaires”. CNN Money. January 9, 2014.
- ^ “California sends 20 millionaires to Congress. Here’s what we know about their fortunes”. www.latimes.com. March 5, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
External links
- Representative David Valadao official U.S. House website
- David Valadao for Congress campaign website
- David Valadao at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
Wikipedia
David Goncalves Valadao (/ˌvæləˈdeɪoʊ/ VAL-ə-DAY-oh; born April 14, 1977) is an American politician and dairy farmer serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 22nd congressional district since 2023. His district comprises part of the San Joaquin Valley. A member of the Republican Party, Valadao first won election in 2012 in California’s 21st congressional district, defeating Democratic nominee John Hernandez.[1] He was reelected in 2022, defeating Democrat Rudy Salas. Before his election to Congress, Valadao served one term in the California State Assembly, representing the 30th district from 2010 to 2012.
Valadao was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump during Trump’s second impeachment[2][3][4] and one of two of those Republicans to be renominated and reelected, along with Dan Newhouse.
Early life and education
Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, California. His parents are Portuguese immigrants (original spelling Gonçalves Valadão); his father grew up on the Azores Islands. In a 2013 interview, Valadao said his parents were initially registered Democrats but later switched to the Republican Party.[5]
Valadao graduated from Hanford High School in 1995.[6] From 1996 to 1998[7] he attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia as a part-time student but did not graduate.[8]
Agriculture career and bankruptcy
Valadao’s father established a dairy farm in Kings County, California in 1969. Valadao and his brother became partners in Valadao Dairy in 1992.[8] He has been a member of the California Milk Advisory Board, Western States Dairy Trade Association, and Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes.[9]
In March 2018, Valadao, a general partner of Triple V Dairy, was named in two lawsuits against the dairy for defaulting on almost $9 million in loans and failing to pay a supplier.[10] In June 2018, a bank seized the dairy and sold it off to pay its debts. Valadao said, “Like so many family dairy farms across the country, burdensome government regulations made it impossible for the operation to remain open.”[11] After a lawsuit in 2019, Valadao agreed to pay $325,000 to former employees who claimed they had been denied breaks, minimum wage, and overtime pay.[12][13] The settlement was not paid due to Valadao and Triple V Dairy filing for bankruptcy.[13]
California State Assembly
Valadao announced his candidacy for California’s 30th State Assembly district after the 2010 retirement of Republican Assemblyman Danny Gilmore. He defeated Stephanie Campbell in the Republican primary, 78%–22%.[14] In the general election, he defeated Shafter Mayor Fran Florez, 61%–39%.[15][16]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2012
In August 2011, Valadao announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for California’s 21st congressional district.[17] The district had previously been the 20th District, represented by four-term Democrat Jim Costa, but redistricting had shifted most of the district’s share of Fresno to the new 16th District, and Costa sought reelection there.
In the June 5 open primary, he ranked first with 57% of the vote, ahead of Democrat John Hernandez – the head of the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – and Fresno City Councilman Blong Xiong.[18] In the November 6 general election he defeated Hernandez, 58%–42%.[19] A Wall Street Journal op-ed cited his victory in a district that had long been held by Democrats as a potential template for the GOP, while other analysts cited his opponent’s “weakness as a candidate and a campaigner” as playing a major role.[20]
2014
Valadao ran for reelection in November 2014. His challengers were Democrat Amanda Renteria, a former political aide to Dianne Feinstein and Debbie Stabenow,[21] and John Hernandez, the Democratic nominee Valadao defeated in 2012.[22] In the June 3 primary Valadao finished first once again with 63% of the vote, and received majorities of 60% or higher in every county except for Kern. In the November 4 general election, he was reelected with 58% of the vote.[23]
2016
Valadao ran for reelection to a third term in 2016. His first challenger was Democrat Daniel Parra, the mayor pro tem of Fowler, California.[24] Another Democratic challenger was Connie Perez, an accountant in Pasadena, California, who grew up in Tulare, but due to issues regarding her residency outside of the district, as well as an alleged recent change in party affiliation, Perez dropped out less than a month after announcing her candidacy.[25][26] In January 2016 Emilio Huerta, son of United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, announced his candidacy in the race as a Democrat.[27] In the June 7 primary Valadao finished first with 54% of the vote and Huerta finished second with 24.2%.[28][29] In the general election Valadao was reelected with 56.7% of the vote to Huerta’s 43.3%.[30]
2018
In 2018, Valadao was initially set to face Huerta again in a rematch, with Huerta announcing his bid in May 2017.[31] But in March 2018 Huerta suspended his campaign for lack of funds.[32][33] After Huerta’s withdrawal, engineer TJ Cox of Fresno announced that he would challenge Valadao.[34] Cox had previously announced a challenge to Republican Congressman Jeff Denham in the 10th district before switching to Valadao’s seat.[35]
Valadao declared victory on November 6 after the Associated Press initially called the race in his favor, but mail-in ballots gave Cox a very narrow lead. Cox officially won the race on November 28,[36] and Valadao conceded on December 6.[37] The final count showed that Cox won by 862 votes. It was one of the last U.S. House races to be decided in the 2018 cycle.[38]
2020
Valadao ran for and won his former seat in 2020,[39] defeating Cox in a rematch by 1,754 votes, 51% to 49%.[40] This came even as Joe Biden carried the district by ten points.[41]
2022
In June 2022, Valadao placed second in the open primary for California’s redistricted 22nd congressional district, advancing to the November general election.[42][43][44] Despite Valadao’s vote to impeach President Trump, Trump did not involve himself in Valadao’s primary and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy endorsed Valadao.[43][45] According to the Los Angeles Times, the GOP declined to support a challenger because Valadao holds a seat in a Democratic-leaning district that “can’t be won by any other Republican”.[46] Far-right Republican Chris Mathys ran in the primary. A Democratic campaign ad criticized Valadao for his impeachment vote, as part of a larger strategy of helping Mathys to make for higher chances of a Democratic candidate winning the seat.[47]
Valadao faced state assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat, in the November general election.[43] Valadao defeated Salas in the general election, 51% to 49%.[48] Valadao’s victory made him one of just two House Republicans who supported impeaching Donald Trump to remain in Congress after the 2022 election, alongside Dan Newhouse of Washington.[49]
2024
In the March 5, 2024 open primary, Valadao received approximately 33% of the vote to secure a place in the general election in November 2024.[50] Rudy Salas received the next highest percentage of votes, with approximately 31%, and will again be Valadao’s challenger.[50]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[51]
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, co-chair[52]
- American Sikh Congressional Caucus, co-chair[53]
- Republican Governance Group[54]
- Republican Main Street Partnership[55]
- Problem Solvers Caucus[56]
Political positions
In the 114th United States Congress, Valadao was ranked as the 42nd-most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Bipartisan Index created by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy.[57]
Donald Trump
After Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in May 2016, Valadao said he would support his candidacy. He rescinded his support in June 2016, declining to endorse Trump and saying he could not support a candidate who “denigrates people based on their ethnicity, religion, or disabilities.”[58]
In February 2017, Valadao voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request ten years of Trump’s tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.[59]
FiveThirtyEight found that in the 115th and 117th United States Congresses, Valadao had voted in line with Trump’s stated position 96.8% of the time.[60]
On January 13, 2021, Valadao was one of ten Republicans who voted for the second impeachment of Donald Trump for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.[2][3] Valadao later said that despite misgivings about the process that the Democrats used to send the impeachment article to the floor, he felt he had to “go with my gut and vote my conscience” and vote to impeach. He called Trump a “driving force” behind the riots and concluded that his rhetoric at the rally preceding the riots was “un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense.”[61][62]
On May 19, 2021, Valadao was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[63]
Environment
In response to President Barack Obama‘s repeated assertion that the 2011 California drought was caused by global warming, Valadao said that “climate change has nothing to do with the drought” and that Obama administration regulations had worsened the drought.[64]
Foreign policy
In 2017, Valadao was blacklisted by Azerbaijan for taking part in a visit to Armenia and a disputed, breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.[65]
Health care
Valadao favored repealing the Affordable Care Act. On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal it and to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA).[66][67][68] He was one of three co-sponsors of a last-minute amendment that added $8 billion to fund high-risk pools for patients with pre-existing conditions.[69] The revised version of AHCA allowed states to get waivers to allow insurers to charge individuals with preexisting conditions more if the individual has had a gap in insurance coverage.[70]
In 2017, Valadao introduced H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, “to grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members who served in the territorial seas of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This would enable eligible veterans to receive expedited consideration for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits if they suffer from any of the diseases the U.S. Government has linked to Agent Orange.” In August 2017, Valadao and Representative Joe Courtney sent a letter urging the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans have access to medical care from the VA.[71] That same year, Valadao and Representative Jeff Denham introduced the Assessing Critical Care Efforts to Strengthen Services (ACCESS) Act. It would correct California’s Medicaid reimbursement method to encourage physicians to operate in the Central Valley and ensure patient access to doctors and specialists.[72] Also in 2017, Valadao and five other members of Congress introduced the Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2017, which would reauthorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program. It would expand existing programs at health centers and establish new teaching health centers.[73]
LGBTQ+ rights
In 2016, Valadao voted for a measure that banned discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors.[74] In 2015, Valadao did not join many other prominent California Republicans in signing a U.S. Supreme Court brief in favor of same-sex marriage.[75]
On July 19, 2022, Valadao and 46 other Republican U.S. representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[76]
Immigration
Valadao supports comprehensive immigration reform.[77][78]
In August 2014, he broke ranks with the Republican Party and voted against a bill that would have dismantled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[79]
On February 23, 2017, Valadao called for a bipartisan solution to the U.S. immigration system. Later in 2017, he and nine other lawmakers wrote to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan asking for legislation to address DACA’s future.[80]
In June 2018, Valadao released a statement about the Department of Justice’s “zero tolerance” policy, which involved separating children and parents at the Mexican border. “The substantial increase of minors at our southern border is both a humanitarian and national security crisis,” he wrote. “While we must work towards a solution that reduces the occurrence of illegal border crossings, it is unacceptable to separate young children from their parents. This is exactly why passage of a compromise solution, such as that being discussed in Congress right now, is absolutely necessary.”[81]
Joe Biden
FiveThirtyEight found that in the 117th United States Congress, Valadao had voted in line with Joe Biden‘s stated position 30.1% of the time.[82]
Tax reform
In December 2017, Valadao voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[83]
Free trade
Valadao has criticized the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs against Chinese steel and aluminum imports, which prompted China to impose retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. agriculture products. In May 2018, he sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressing concern over the tariffs’ impact on the Central Valley‘s economy, writing, “Not only do the proposed tariffs fail to adequately remedy China’s unfair practices, such tariffs seriously jeopardize our farmers’ access to export markets, which accounts for roughly twenty percent of their production.”[84]
Welfare and poverty
In 2013, Valadao was one of 15 House Republicans to vote against a Republican-backed bill to make deep cuts in food stamp spending.[85]
Electoral history
| Primary election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Republican | David Valadao | 27,251 | 57.0 | ||
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 10,575 | 22.1 | ||
| Democratic | Blong Xiong | 9,990 | 20.9 | ||
| Total votes | 47,816 | 100.0 | |||
| General election | |||||
| Republican | David Valadao | 67,164 | 57.8 | ||
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 49,119 | 42.2 | ||
| Total votes | 116,283 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican win (new seat) | |||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 28,773 | 63.0 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Renteria | 11,682 | 25.6 | |
| Democratic | John Hernandez | 5,232 | 11.5 | |
| Total votes | 45,687 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 45,907 | 57.8 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Renteria | 33,470 | 42.2 | |
| Total votes | 79,377 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 37,367 | 54.0 | |
| Democratic | Emilio Huerta | 16,743 | 24.2 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Parra | 15,056 | 21.8 | |
| Total votes | 69,166 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 75,126 | 56.7 | |
| Democratic | Emilio Huerta | 57,282 | 43.3 | |
| Total votes | 132,408 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 34,290 | 62.8 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox | 20,293 | 37.2 | |
| Total votes | 54,583 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | TJ Cox | 57,239 | 50.4 | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 56,377 | 49.6 | |
| Total votes | 113,616 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao | 39,488 | 49.7 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox (incumbent) | 30,697 | 38.7 | |
| Democratic | Ricardo De La Fuente | 7,309 | 9.2 | |
| Republican | Rocky De La Fuente | 1,912 | 2.4 | |
| Total votes | 79,406 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao | 85,373 | 50.4 | |
| Democratic | TJ Cox (incumbent) | 83,619 | 49.6 | |
| Total votes | 169,292 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 25,337 | 45.2 | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 14,331 | 25.6 | |
| Republican | Chris Mathys | 13,111 | 23.4 | |
| Republican | Adam Medeiros | 3,250 | 5.8 | |
| Total votes | 56,029 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 52,472 | 51.6 | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 49,196 | 48.4 | |
| Total votes | 101,668 | 100.0 | ||
Honors and awards
In August 2014, the United States Chamber of Commerce awarded Valadao its Spirit of Enterprise Award.[77] He won the same award again in 2016.[89]
Personal life
Valadao lives in Hanford with his wife Terra and their three children.[90] During his first tenure in the House, Valadao consistently ranked as the poorest member of Congress by net worth, with over $17.5 million in debt in 2018, mainly loans to his family’s dairy farm.[91][92]
References
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- ^ a b “10 GOP lawmakers vote to impeach Trump, trial moves to Senate”. FOX 35. January 13, 2021.
- ^ a b “These 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump on Wednesday”. CNN. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ [1], Roll Call Vote 17 of the first session of the 117th Congress on January 13, 2021.
- ^ “Rep. David Valadao is proof that the GOP can appeal to Hispanic voters”. May 6, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Cassandra Sandoval, David Valadao keeps Congress seat, Kinsburg Recorder (November 16, 2016).
- ^ VALADAO, David G., (1977 – ), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ a b Calif., 21st House District: David Valadao (R), The Atlantic (November 6, 2012).
- ^ “David Valadao Biography”. California State Assembly. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Calix, Brianna; Rep. David Valadao family’s dairy slapped with lawsuits, revealing financial trouble, Fresno Bee (March 13, 2018).
- ^ Garcia, Eric; Bank Seizes Valadao’s Family Farm,Roll Call (June 13, 2018).
- ^ “Bank seizes California Rep. David Valadao’s family dairy farm over unpaid loans”. Los Angeles Times. June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Yeager, Joshua. “Cox, Valadao face questions in business dealings as race for 21st district heats up”. VisaliaTimesDelta.com. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
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- ^ “Rep. David Valadao wins reelection in endangered Central Valley congressional seat”. Los Angeles Times. November 22, 2022.
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- ^ a b “California 22nd Congressional District Primary Election Results”. The New York Times. March 5, 2024. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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External links
- Representative David Valadao official U.S. House website
- David Valadao for Congress campaign website
- David Valadao at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
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