About 527,000 people in this district rely on Medi‑Cal — 64%, the highest rate of any Republican district in the country. David Valadao signed a letter opposing Medicaid cuts in April 2025, then cast a decisive vote for them in July. The same law cut about 20% of SNAP funding in the district that grows the nation’s food. Every line below links to its source.
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David Valadao Voted to Cut Medi-Cal
As of 2025, about 527,000 people in our Congressional district relied on Medi-Cal. That’s over 64% — the highest rate of any Republican district in the country! Congressman Valadao signed a letter opposing Medicaid cuts in April 2025, but then, just a few months later he voted for those very same cuts — putting the health care of 57,000 of our neighbors in jeopardy.
What Valadao Says
He points to the law’s $50 billion rural hospital fund. California is receiving only $230 million of that in 2026 — a fraction of the roughly $15 billion in Medicaid dollars experts say the state’s hospitals would otherwise have received this year.
Read the Reporting
Read about the vote and how the rural hospital fund compares to what hospitals are losing.
Check the source of the 57,000 figure, and what the law’s exemptions do and don’t cover.
85,000 Constituents Saw Their Premiums Jump
When the Affordable Care Act tax credits expired, more than 85,000 people in the district saw premiums rise by $85 per month on average. Even after voting to cut Medi-Cal, Valadao is still running ads promising to protect Medicaid. He thinks his constituents won’t catch on to his deceit.
Food Aid Cut in the District That Grows Our Food
The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act also cut about 20% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding. Valadao voted for the cuts even though our district has the highest share of households on food stamps of any Republican district in the country.
That is Why Randy Villegas is Running for Congress.
Born in Bakersfield to Mexican immigrant parents, Randy’s family relied on Medi-Cal and WIC — programs the 2025 law cut. Villegas went on to study at Bakersfield College, then CSU Bakersfield, and finally to get his Ph.D.; becoming a tenure-track professor at 25. He now teaches at College of the Sequoias and co-owns his family’s auto repair shop. His campaign takes no corporate PAC money.
