Rep. David Valadao and Democratic challenger Randy Villegas met Tuesday night for what is expected to be the only debate in California’s 22nd Congressional District, a Central Valley seat that could help decide which party controls the House.
The hour-long debate, streamed by KGET News, quickly turned combative, with the two men repeatedly challenging each other’s claims and track records.
Valadao, who was first elected in 2012, is a former dairy farmer and co-owner of his family’s dairy farms and farmland in California’s Central Valley. He ran on his record of delivering for the Central Valley.
Villegas, a Visalia Unified school board member and College of the Sequoias political science professor running as a progressive populist, framed the race as working families against special interests.
Split on pathway to citizenship
On immigration, the two candidates momentarily found common ground: they agreed that immigrants caught committing crimes should be “deported.” Villegas countered by saying, “Right now, they’re not targeting violent criminals. They are targeting street vendors. They’re targeting our farmworkers who get up every single day at the crack of dawn to feed the country and to feed this world.”
Valadao described himself as a “strong advocate” for immigration reform, noting that he was among the first Republicans to support the DREAM Act. This legislation created a path to citizenship for immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.
However, Villegas quickly called out Valdao for not signing on to the 2026 Dream & Promise Act discharge petition, which is one signature short of forcing a vote in Congress.
Introduced in July, the discharge petition picks up where the 2021 House bill left off. It is broader than the DREAM Act because it also covers Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders. It would allow eligible Dreamers to pursue permanent legal status and would expand permanent-residence protections for qualifying TPS and DED holders.
“Congressman Valadao has failed to sign on to and support that discharge petition. Instead, Congressman Valadao voted to triple ICE’s budget without any meaningful reforms whatsoever, as they rip apart families here in the Central Valley and all across the country.”
Valadao countered, saying he conducted outreach every time there has been an ICE raid in the district. “We’ve reached out to the families to figure out what was actually going on. And sadly, a lot of them do have a criminal record,” he explained.
According to reports by the Los Angeles Times, individuals with no prior criminal records make up 74% of the daily ICE detention population in California.
Valdao’s history of voting to fund ICE
Although Valdao previously urged the Trump administration to focus on removing known criminals rather than long-time Valley residents, he has voted to increase ICE and Border Patrol funding.
In 2024, Hispanic-identifying residents made up 1.02 times as many people in CA-22 as any other race or ethnicity, according to DataUSA. As Latinos have grown increasingly disenchanted with President Donald Trump, there are significant concerns regarding the safety of the local community, many of whom have been targeted by federal ICE raids.
On Oct. 7, The Fresno Bee reported that approximately two dozen ICE arrests, primarily conducted through traffic stops, have occurred in Fresno and Madera counties since the beginning of the month.
When asked about his stance on the federal enforcement tactics of raids plaguing his mostly agricultural district, Valdao said, “Am I happy with the way that they’ve done everything? No, but have they been able to do some of the things that I think are important–securing our border is important.”
The takeaways
Although both parties claimed victory shortly after the debate, many Central Valley families still live in fear of ongoing raids.
Following the arrests that took place this week, the Mayor of Mendota issued a statement expressing strong opposition to the targeted ICE enforcement activities under his jurisdiction.
“The City of Mendota strongly disagrees with ICE enforcement activity that creates fear in our community,” said Mayor Victor M. Martinez. “It makes no sense when students are afraid to go to school, people are afraid to attend medical appointments, and families are afraid to leave their homes. Our community should not be made to feel like a ghost town.”
As the midterms approach, the candidates’ talking points increasingly mirror the broader challenges facing the Central Valley. Local grassroots organizations continue to advocate for immigrant community members, while voters face a stark choice between two competing visions for the region’s future.
Don’t forget to register to vote for the election on Nov. 3. And check out the Courier California VOTER HUB for more information.
