Democrat Salas advances to take on California Republican who impeached Trump

Democrat Rudy Salas is advancing to the general election with Republican Rep. David Valadao in a competitive California district that could help decide control of the House next year, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ.

Salas, a former state assemblymember, and Valadao were the top two vote-getters in California’s nonpartisan primary for the 22nd Congressional District, one of Democrats’ key targets for November — setting the race up for a rematch of their 2022 showdown. 

The results come as a relief to Democrats, who feared being shut out of the November general election entirely after another Democrat, Melissa Hurtado, threatened to siphon votes away from Salas.

Valadao, who was among the Republicans that voted to impeach former President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, won reelection to the seat back in 2022, besting Salas in a close midterm race that wasn’t called until weeks after Election Day. 

The Republican was first elected in 2012 but lost a reelection bid in 2018 before retaking the Central Valley seat in 2020.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Valadao’s seat a “toss up,” along with those held by three other Golden State Republicans: Reps. Mike Garcia, Ken Calvert and John Duarte. 

The race is one of several Super Tuesday House contests in California that could decide which party wins the lower chamber in November.