Randy Villegas is the 2026 Democratic nominee for California's 22nd Congressional District, running to unseat four-term Republican incumbent David Valadao in one of the most consequential House races of the cycle. Born and raised in Bakersfield, Kern County, Villegas is the son of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to earn a Ph.D. He earned his associate's degree from Bakersfield College, his bachelor's degree from California State University, Bakersfield, and his doctorate in political science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is a professor of political science at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia and has served on the Visalia Unified School District Board of Education since 2021.
Villegas grew up in a working-class family that relied on Medicaid, food assistance, and free school lunches — the very programs that Valadao has since voted to gut. He also owns a small family auto repair shop, and watched as elected officials turned a blind eye to the disproportionate rates of asthma and cancer in the Central Valley caused by corporate polluters. Those experiences shaped his commitment to public service: he became a journalist, educator, community organizer, and school board trustee, building deep roots in the community he now seeks to represent in Congress. He has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's CHC BOLD PAC, the Working Families Party, Indivisible, and the Democratic National Committee.
Villegas advanced to the November general election after finishing second in California's jungle primary, beating out a more establishment-backed Democratic opponent despite facing late opposition from party insiders. Prediction markets have placed Democrats as strong favorites to flip CA-22, with one giving Villegas a 78% chance of victory. The district — which spans parts of Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties, is 75% Latino, and has the highest rate of Medicaid enrollment of any Republican-held congressional district in the country — is at the center of the Democratic Party's effort to reclaim the House majority.
Join States Win in creating a blue wave across state legislatures! 🌊
We are calling voters in key state legislature districts to get out the vote and help elect Democrats and build enduring progressive power.
Join us for a virtual phonebank, where we’ll be calling for our endorsed candidates in targeted states:
Tuesdays at 6pm ET
Wednesdays at 6pm ET
Thursdays at 4pm ET
Saturdays at 12pm ET
Join me and other volunteers to knock on doors and register voters! Let's build the grassroots power Democrats need to win in 2026 and to defend democracy long term. Join...
in partnership with CADEM, Voters of Tomorrow College Democrats of America, California College Democrats, California High School Democrats, and Blue Future CALLING ALL YOUNG DEMS to join us on Saturdays...
In partnership with the DCCC and the Grassroots Democrats HQ Join the DCCC and GDHQ Every Thursday to make calls into key Congressional races across the country to Take Back...
