The race to fill the remainder of former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s term has come down to Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux and state legislator Vince Fong. Boudreaux and Fong are set to face off in a special election on May 21 in California’s 20th District, which is the most strongly Republican House seat in the state. Boudreaux is highlighting his law-and-order experience and promises to strengthen border security, while Fong is backed by former President Donald Trump and McCarthy. With Republicans expected to easily hold onto the seat, the election is seen as a test of Trump’s influence as he prepares for a potential matchup with President Joe Biden in November.
McCarthy’s removal from the House Speaker position has left a tangled race for his successor, with rivalries within the GOP coming to the forefront. Republicans currently hold only 11 of California’s 52 House seats, with McCarthy’s seat now vacant. The special election to fill the remainder of McCarthy’s term is expected to confuse voters who saw the same names on the primary ballot for the full term starting in January. Despite this, both Boudreaux and Fong have also qualified for the November election for the full term, with the special election focusing solely on finishing McCarthy’s term.
Trump’s endorsement of Fong has added a layer of complexity to the race, with the former president calling Fong a “true Republican.” On the other hand, Boudreaux has received support from former Trump administration official Ric Grenell and Republican state Senator Shannon Grove. Both candidates are aligned with Trump’s conservative policies, but the race is seen as an insider-outsider contest, with Fong being McCarthy’s choice and a product of his political operation. Boudreaux, on the other hand, comes from a law enforcement background and emphasizes his experience in keeping communities safe.
The primary issue in the race has been the nation’s border crisis, a topic that resonates strongly in the Central Valley farm belt that makes up the 20th District. Fong, who hails from Kern County, has a strong base of support there, while Boudreaux is well-known in Tulare and Kings counties. The election could ultimately be decided in Fresno County, where Boudreaux and Fong were closely matched in the primary. The stark differences in their backgrounds, policy positions, and endorsements have made this race a closely watched contest, with implications for the future of the Republican Party in California and its relationship with the Trump camp. As the election date approaches, both candidates are ramping up their campaigns to secure the support needed to win the May special election and potentially hold the seat in the long term.
