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Special Election For McCarthy Seat Heads For A May Runoff With Trump Endorsed Candidate

March 23, 2024
Sharika Soal

PHOTO: Vince Fong, Mike Boudreaux

With all the drama these days, let’s not forget that the special election is coming.

It will be a two-man race between Republicans Vince Fong and Mike Boudreaux in a May runoff for the seat that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vacated.

A special election that will give the winner a significant advantage in the second round of the general election.

This fall, Fong and Boudreaux will have the opportunity to present themselves as incumbent members of Congress, which will give them a considerable advantage in November.

Politico reports,

Fong, a state legislator, has emerged as the clear front-runner. He rode endorsements from McCarthy — his one-time boss — former President Donald Trump and California GOP House members to first-place finishes in both the March primary and the subsequent special election with over 40 percent of the vote.

Boudreaux, the Tulare County sheriff, has aligned local support and channeled skepticism of the Republican machine that propelled the careers of both McCarthy and Fong. He secured about a quarter of the vote in both March elections and could increase his share in the May runoff if he consolidates Republicans who did not back Fong.

Another candidate, GOP businessperson Kyle Kirkland, threw his support behind Boudreaux after losing.

McCarthy’s abrupt resignation last December set off a Republican scramble to claim his Bakersfield-area seat. It also created a complex political shuffle: Voters had to select someone to fill the vacancy — the aim of Tuesday’s special election — as well as a candidate for the next two-year term.

According to a seperate Associated Press report, Trump endorsed Fong in February. Boudreaux has the support of former acting director of national intelligence Ric Grenell and Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield.

Because of Trump’s involvement, the race is being watched as a possible proxy vote on the former president’s clout as he heads toward an all-but-certain matchup against President Joe Biden in November.

McCarthy’s dramatic fall in the House — he is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job — left behind a messy race to succeed him that has included an ongoing lawsuit and exposed rivalries within the GOP.

Republicans occupy only 11 of the state’s 52 House seats, with the one held by McCarthy currently vacant.

This special election will only cover McCarthy’s remaining term.

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