Summary
Rodolfo “Rudy” Salas is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 2012-2022. He is a Democrat who formerly represented the 32nd Assembly district, which encompasses Kings County and parts of northwestern Kern County.
Born: 1977 (age 47 years), Bakersfield, CA
Party: Democratic Party
Candidate for: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in California
Previous campaigns: US House Elections in California, 2022, California State Assembly District 32 General Election, 2020
Previous office: California State Representative (2012–2022)
Education: University of California, Los Angeles
OnAir Post: Rudy Salas
News
Los Angeles Times, – April 26, 2024
California House Districts 13, 22, 27, 41, 45, and 47.
Over 2,000 miles west of the nation’s Capitol, the battle for control of the House of Representatives in 2025 is being waged in farmland along Highway 99, fast-growing commuter communities north and east of Los Angeles and Orange County beach towns and inland suburbs.
While Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority in the House, partisan makeup of next year’s Congress will almost certainly be decided this November — at least in part — by a handful of hypercompetitive California races.
California “is, along with New York, one of the two most important paths to potential Democratic control of the House,” said Dave Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
About
Source: Campaign site
Born and raised in the Central Valley, Rudy Salas is a lifelong Valley resident and South High School graduate who worked his way from working in the fields with his father to graduating from UCLA and becoming the first Latino Bakersfield City Councilmember in its 112-year history.
During his five terms in the California State Assembly, Rudy Salas stood by his commitment to take a stand for Central Valley families and deliver for the region. Salas was an effective voice for the Valley in the state capitol, winning:
- Lower costs for life saving medications
- Increased public safety funding
- Overtime pay for farm workers
- Expanded workforce development programs
- Expanded veterans’ and workers’ rights
- Increased funding for clean water infrastructure
- Increased support for our small business community.
During his final two years in the Assembly, Rudy Salas secured $290 million of dedicated investments for Central Valley projects, including for:
- Clean water
- Improving public safety
- Investing in our colleges and universities and increasing job opportunities
Rudy Salas came closer than anyone in California to flipping a congressional seat from Red to Blue. Now, Salas is ready to finish the job and flip California’s 22nd Congressional District. The Central Valley is the beating heart of our state and our families and America deserve a Congressmember who will stand up for our values.
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
SALAS, RUDY has run in 5 races for public office, winning 5 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $8,073,171.
Source: Open Secrets
Voting Record
Finances
SALAS, RUDY has run in 5 races for public office, winning 5 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $8,073,171.
Source: Follow the Money
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
New Legislation
Issues
Priorities
Source: https://www.rudysalas.com/priorities
DRUG PRICES
Rudy Salas is committed to ensuring that Central Valley families have equitable access to necessary, life-saving prescriptions. The price of insulin for people with diabetes in the U.S. are up to ten times higher than in other developed nations. Rudy took action and voted to lower insulin prices in California – even voting to make California the first state to manufacture its own insulin to cut the drug companies’ stranglehold on prices. Rudy also worked to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable to prevent price gouging by expanding access to generic drugs at lower prices and increasing price transparency. And he’ll fight to let Medicare negotiate with Big Pharma for lower prices for California seniors.
David Valadao does not hold the same values. Instead, he puts Big Pharma first. He voted against capping insulin prices at $35 a month in the United States, and Valadao voted against negotiating with the drug companies for lower prices.
HEALTHCARE
In the legislature, Rudy has worked to expand access to mental health care in rural and underserved communities and secured funding to fight Valley Fever.
The University of California now estimates that in part because of Rudy’s votes. 93% of Californians now have access to healthcare.
In Congress, he’ll fight to defend the Affordable Care Act against attempts to gut its benefits or allow insurance companies to deny coverage to Californians with pre-existing conditions like asthma. And he’ll work to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing care for seniors.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Rudy Salas’ record shows his commitment to the Central Valley’s economic development and job procurement. He has voted to raise the minimum wage, led the fight for farm workers to get overtime pay, and promoted economic growth and development throughout the Central Valley.
He’ll do the same in Congress. Rudy will fight to expand job training and apprenticeship programs to give everyone access to the skills needed to fill good jobs, further invest in our infrastructure to extend broadband access to all communities, and ensure good roads and bridges that can get crops and goods to market and work to level the playing field so that small businesses and entrepreneurs have equal access to the capital they need to grow.
Rudy will also work to fight inflation and reduce the cost of living by fixing our broken supply chain, ramping up domestic energy production to lower gas prices, and cracking down on corporations that rip off Californians by price gouging.
David Valadao voted to keep a $7.25 federal minimum wage and has put large corporations ahead of California small businesses at every turn. He even voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, opposing critical investments that will improve our supply chain, strengthen our water resources, and expand broadband access.
CLEAN WATER
Rudy Salas secured funding to construct new clean water wells across the Central Valley and fought for the historic $7.5 billion water bond that invested entirely in water infrastructure.
David Valadao may say he’s good on water, but he voted against bringing millions of dollars for clean water infrastructure to the Central Valley. Over 900,000 Californians don’t have access to clean drinking water.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Rudy Salas was awarded Legislator of the Year by the California 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatchers and California Police Chiefs Association for his work championing the public safety of Central Valley residents. He’s been proud to fight for strong funding for Central Valley law enforcement to keep our communities safe.
SENIORS
California seniors need Representatives in Congress who will fight to protect Social Security and Medicare. Rudy will stop any attempts to cut the guaranteed benefits seniors have earned, including turning Social Security over to Wall Street or raising the retirement age. And he will work to cut costs for seniors by lowering drug prices and expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing care.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Rudy Salas has always believed that the government shouldn’t interfere in a woman’s healthcare decisions. Rudy put Proposition 1 on the ballot to protect the rights of women to control their own bodies. These most personal decisions are to be decided by a woman, her doctor, and within her faith.
So far this year, over 14,000 women have been raped in California. David Valadao is co-sponsoring a bill criminalizing abortion for a woman who was raped.
More Information
Wikipedia
Rodolfo “Rudy” Salas[1] (born March 12, 1977) is an American politician who was in the California State Assembly from 2012-2022. He is a Democrat who formerly represented the 32nd Assembly district, which encompasses Kings County and parts of northwestern Kern County. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2012, he was on the Bakersfield City Council.
Salas left his seat in the Assembly to run as the Democratic nominee for California’s 22nd congressional district in 2022, losing to incumbent Republican David Valadao.[2][3]
Elections
2012
When incumbent Assemblyman David Valadao announced that he would not run for reelection, instead seeking a congressional bid for the 21st district, the seat was left vacant. In the June 5 primary, Salas ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and won the overall primary with 41.4% of the vote, or 13,053 votes, ahead of the three Republican candidates. He faced off against the primary runner-up, Republican former Delano Mayor Pedro Rios, in the November 6 general election. Salas came in first by a smaller margin than before, with 38,759 total votes (52.9%) to Rios’s 34,476 (47.1%).[4] He was sworn in on December 3, 2012.
2014
Salas ran for re-election in November 2014, again against former Delano Mayor Pedro Rios, who defeated Delano Union School Board trustee Romeo Agbalog in the June 2014 Republican primary election.[5]
He was described as a moderate Democrat, colloquially referred to as a “Valleycrat” by some.[5]
Salas won the rematch in the November 4 general election with 54.8% to Rios’s 45.2%.[5][6]
2016
Salas ran for a third term in 2016. He faced minimal opposition in the primary, with Republican Manuel Ramirez running a write-in campaign that garnered 1% of the primary vote. In the general election, Salas won his largest victory yet with 65% to Ramirez’s 35%.[7]
2018
Salas ran for a fourth consecutive term in 2018. He was challenged by Republican Hanford City Councilman Justin Mendes, a staffer for Congressman David Valadao (whom Salas succeeded in the Assembly in 2012).[8]
2020
Salas ran for reelection and faced Republican Todd Cotta, a Hanford gun store owner in the general election.[9]
2022
Salas left his seat in the State Assembly to run for Congress. He was defeated by incumbent Republican David Valadao in a close race.[10]
2024
Salas announced he would run again for Congress in 2024.[11]
Electoral history
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2012 (Primary):
- Rudy Salas – 13,053 (41.4%)
- Pedro A. Rios – 7,550 (23.9%)
- Jon McQuiston – 6,530 (20.7%)
- David Thomas – 4,420 (14.0%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2012:
- Rudy Salas – 38,759 (52.9%)
- Pedro A. Rios – 34,476 (47.1%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2014 (Primary):
- Rudy Salas (incumbent) – 11,577 (43.9%)
- Pedro A. Rios – 9,183 (34.8%)
- Romeo Agbalog – 5,628 (21.3%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2014:
- Rudy Salas (incumbent) – 26,721 (54.8%)
- Pedro A. Rios – 22,031 (45.2%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2016 (Primary):
- Rudy Salas (incumbent) – 30,806 (98.9%)
- Manuel Ramirez (write-in) – 334 (1.1%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2016:
- Rudy Salas (incumbent) – 53,056 (65.1%)
- Manuel Ramirez – 28,502 (34.9%)
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2018:
- Rudy Salas (incumbent) – 26,646 (67.96%)
- Justin Mendez – 12,562 (32.04%)[12]
California’s 32nd State Assembly district, 2020[13]:
- Rudy Salas*, DEM 63,450 60.0%
- Todd Cotta, REP 42,328 40.0%
References
- ^ “Rodolfo Salas – Councilmember – Bakersfield | CalSalaries”.
- ^ Jose Franco (October 18, 2021). “Rudy Salas announces candidacy for 22nd Congressional District”. KGET.
- ^ Sam Morgen (October 18, 2021). “Rudy Salas announces bid for Congress”. The Bakersfield Californian.
- ^ “California Elections: Assembly District 32”.
- ^ a b c Powell, Mark (November 4, 2014). “Salas beats Rios once again in 32nd District”. The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ “State Assembly Member District 32 District and County Results”. California Election Results. November 21, 2014. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ “California Election Results 2016”. The New York Times. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ James Burger (March 8, 2018). “Justin Mendes, staffer for Congressman David Valadao, to challenge Assemblyman Rudy Salas”. The Bakersfield Californian.
- ^ Steven Mayer (February 9, 2020). “Election 2020: Salas and Cotta to face off in March primary, but is it just a dress rehearsal for November?”. The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ “Statement of vote” (PDF). January 16, 2023.
- ^ “Rudy Salas files candidacy for 22nd Congressional district seat in 2024”. KGET 17. December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ “Results”. www.kernvote.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ “Statement of vote” (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
External links
- Rudy Salas for Congress campaign website
- Assemblymember Rudy Salas official legislative website
