David Valadao lost in the last anti-Trump blue wave. Will farmers help him win this time?

According to CalMatters, a competitive congressional race is unfolding in California's Central Valley. Republican David Valadao, a dairy farmer with deep roots in the agricultural community, faces a significant electoral challenge from Democrat Randy Villegas, a community college professor and son of farm laborers. Known simply as 'David' among farmers for his understanding of farming economics and cross-party appeal, Valadao has repeatedly won re-election in a district where Democrats hold a significant voter registration advantage. But this year, his political vulnerabilities are mounting. Last year, Valadao cast the decisive vote for a budget bill that cut nearly twenty-eight billion dollars from California's Medicaid program and also slashed about twenty percent of food assistance funding. CalMatters reports that he continues to draw endorsements from major farm organizations and positions himself as a pro-agriculture moderate working across party lines. Yet farmers face acute economic stress from surging fuel prices, volatile crop costs, and supply chain disruptions tied to Middle East conflict. The Central Valley race will test whether his agricultural credentials can overcome an unpopular party and pressing economic challenges.

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