Valadao is one of 10 House Republicans — and the only GOP Californian — who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The son of immigrants from the Azores islands of Portugal, Valadao was born and raised in Hanford. He became a partner in his father’s dairy and farm business and worked with industry groups such as the California Milk Advisory Board and the Western States Dairy Trade Assn.
He was elected to the state Assembly in 2010 and after one term was elected to Congress, where he served from 2013 to 2019. He was defeated by a Democrat in 2018 by 862 votes; two years later, Valadao won a rematch.
Salas grew up picking grapes in Central Valley fields with his father before attending UCLA. After graduating with bachelor’s degrees in political science and history, the Bakersfield native worked at the White House for Vice President Al Gore. He later returned to California as a counselor for Upward Bound and the College Assistance Migrant Program at Cal State Bakersfield, which helps students with farmworking backgrounds transition to college.
In 2010, Salas became the first Latino elected to the Bakersfield City Council. Two years later, he won a seat in the state Assembly, where he voted for a landmark bill that provided farmworkers overtime pay and helped secure state funding for new water wells and cultural centers in the valley. He has also served as co-chair of the New Democrats, a group that typically aligns with business interests.
Both candidates focus on water for farms and homes and support immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for some immigrants.
