House Republican who voted to impeach Trump loses reelection
Rep. David Valadao is one of the last remaining House Republicans in office who voted to impeach President Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Key points
- Republican Rep. David Valadao lost his reelection bid in California's 22nd District to Democrat Randy Villegas.
- Valadao was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
- Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned with Valadao in September, calling the race one of the most important for the GOP majority.
Republican Rep. David Valadao has lost his reelection bid in California's 22nd District, CBS News projected. His defeat by Democrat Randy Villegas makes him the last House Republican who voted to impeach President Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot to either lose reelection or announce retirement.
Valadao was first elected in 2012 and lost in 2018 as Democrats flipped more than 40 seats and took back the House. He won the seat back in 2020 and later became one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Only two of those lawmakers remain in Congress: Valadao and Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, who is retiring.
How Villegas won the primary
Villegas, a progressive, narrowly beat a moderate Democrat in the top-two nonpartisan primary to advance alongside Valadao. The result was described as an embarrassing defeat for establishment Democrats, who had intervened in the Central Valley contest to boost the moderate candidate.
The primary feud played out in a heavily Hispanic district, a key constituency that shifted away from Democrats in 2024, and amid a wider party debate over how well progressives perform in competitive races. Polls before the midterms showed Trump's approval ratings with Latino voters were cratering.
top three or four races in America
— House Speaker Mike Johnson
Redrawn map and GOP stakes
California's congressional map was redrawn last year in response to Republicans' mid-decade redistricting push in Texas, making it more favorable to Democrats than in 2024.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana, campaigned with Valadao in September, calling the contest one of the "top three or four races in America" in terms of importance to Republicans keeping the House majority.
