BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — While results are still preliminary, as ballots are continuing to be counted, three candidates have taken an early lead: Vince Fong, Mike Boudreaux, and Marisa Wood.
- Video shows the leading candidates as of Tuesday night for the 20th Congressional District Special Election: Vince Fong, Mike Boudreaux, and Marisa Wood.
- The polls have closed for the 20th Congressional District Special Election. This election will decide who will fill the vacant seat former Congressman Kevin McCarthy left behind, at least until the General Election.
The polls have closed for the 20th Congressional District Special Election. This election will decide who will fill the vacant seat former Congressman Kevin McCarthy left behind, at least until the General Election.
While results are still preliminary, as ballots are continuing to be counted, three candidates have taken an early lead: Vince Fong, Mike Boudreaux, and Marisa Wood.
“From Kern County all the way up to Fresno, Tulare, and Kings, we feed the world, we power the world and so we need to have someone that can effectively advocate for those critical industries," said Fong Tuesday night.
With another election night under wraps for candidates and voters of the 20th CD, the assemblyman has seen a handful of small victories in a race that has been marred by controversy ever since McCarthy announced he’d be vacating his seat early.
Secretary of State Shirley Webber attempting to appeal a court ruling allowing Fong to run for Congress in the Primary Election even though he’d already filed for re-election for the 32nd Assembly District.
“At the end of the day the voters get to choose and we’re 100% positive that the courts will rule in our favor, as they have already," Fong said.
While the Secretary of State is waiting for a ruling on the appeal to be handed down, Fong’s opponents aren’t hedging their bets.
“Precedent is huge, and I don’t think you need to establish the precedent that you can run for as many offices as you choose," said Marisa Wood, a Democrat and local teacher running for the 20th Congressional District for the second time in a row.
“You know he made his argument with the court and they agreed," said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. "So at least the way I see it, he’ll be a candidate on the ticket."
Boudreaux, a fellow Republican, said he’s ready to make his name known throughout all of Kern.
“We have family there, we visit there, we go to the Condors games, we go to the ice rink, we visit CALM,” he said.
As far as preliminary results from the March 5th Primary, as of Tuesday Fong led with 42% of the vote, Boudreaux in second with 24% and Wood in third with 21%.
Wood seeing an increase in votes this time around.
“I think it says people are ready for a change," she said. "That says something to me about what’s been missing in this district, what’s been missing in politics at large.”
Should Fong and Boudreaux both move forward, they say they’re ready for a Republican runoff.
“I think we need a strong border and I think we need to have phases of who leaves first," Boudreaux said. "I believe that Kern County should be one of the most prosperous counties in the nation when it comes to oil.”
"Someone who will get our fiscal house in order, someone who will defend our water and energy resources, and when all the voters evaluated all the candidates, they concluded that I'm the most qualified," said Fong.
if no candidates in this special election come out with at least 50 plus one percent of the vote a runoff will be held in May.
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