Election 2020: Costa fends off Democratic challenge; Valadao/Cox rematch; Nunes to face Arballo
Challengers to central San Joaquin Valley congressmen in Tuesday’s primary election foreshadow some high-profile and potentially tight races this November, including against Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Devin Nunes and Rep. TJ Cox.
In California, the top two vote-getters in each primary race advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
After polling places closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, here’s where several congressional and state Assembly races stood, according to election results from the California Secretary of State.
16th Congressional District: Costa turns back Democratic challenge
California’s 16th Congressional District incumbent Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, was behind Republican challenger Kevin Cookingham in early reporting.
Cookingham — the only Republican on the ballot — had about 38.5% of the vote with 26,129 votes, followed by Costa with 37.5% of the vote with 25,401 votes as of Wednesday morning.
Cookingham lives in Madera and is a native of Fresno. He is retired from work in education, ministry and business.
Cookingham’s campaign director said around 9 p.m. that they are “elated.”
“We could not be happier,” Christine Arbuckle said, “and we know it’s a sign of things to come and we’re excited as we can be.”
Costa said in a statement late Tuesday that the early returns are “very good and I am confident we will prevail in November.”
“No one works harder for the people of the Valley than I do,” Costa said. “At the end of the day, I put my trust and faith in the voters.”
Democratic challenger Fresno City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria had 18.4% of the vote, with 12,455 votes.
The district covers the urban parts of Merced and Madera counties and the western half of Fresno County. It’s been represented by Costa since it was formed in 2012.
In his pitch to voters, Costa focused on his family’s immigrant and farming roots, along with his work in Congress. That’s included immigration reform, funding for education and veterans, providing health care, and pushing to get more water for farmers, and clean water for communities.
Soria and her supporters had an election night watch party at her campaign headquarters in downtown Fresno. Just before the first results came in at 8 p.m., Soria said she was feeling optimistic about her chances of advancing.
“We were able to successfully block the Democratic Party endorsement from a 40-year politician,” Soria said of Costa, “reach over 1,500 individual donors at over $400,000 in individual contributions, and $0 from corporations, and we visited every single community in this district and talked to working families that politicians had forgotten about.”
Soria, who had endorsed Costa for Congress in the past, made “out of touch Washington politicians” and taking on President Donald Trump talking points in her campaign, along with what she’s overcome as the daughter of immigrant farm workers. The city councilwoman and community college professor has said she wants to help make the “American dream” available for all.
Costa also announced his endorsement for former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Tuesday.
“I’ve known Joe for many years and he is clearly the most qualified candidate,” a statement from Costa reads, in part. “His experience and extensive domestic and foreign policy background is what our country needs today.
“Above all else, we must have a person that has the empathy and compassion to heal the wounds and bring the divisions in our country together again.”
A fourth 16th District challenger, Democrat Kimberly Elizabeth Williams, had 5.6% of the vote Wednesday morning.
22nd Congressional District: Nunes vs. Arballo
Republican incumbent Rep. Devin Nunes of California’s 22nd Congressional District will likely face off with Fresno Democrat Phil Arballo, the owner of a financial services business, in November.
Nunes has held his seat, which covers Fresno and Tulare counties, since he was first elected in 2002.
Nunes was leading in early voting with 62,566 votes (59.4%), followed by Arballo with 24,740 (23.5%) as of Wednesday morning.
Arballo put out a celebratory statement late Tuesday, saying he is “deeply humbled and proud.”
“Tonight has proven that a local Mexican kid who was raised by a single parent, who graduated from Bullard High school, who was the first is his family to graduate from college, working minimum wage jobs to pay his own way, can indeed become a member of Congress,” Arballo said.
He continued by saying his campaign is about working Valley families “who for too long have had an absentee representative and deserve better. … A fighter.”
Arballo vowed to “fight for affordable and quality healthcare, who will fight to lower the prices of prescription drugs, who will fight for clean air and water, and who will fight for more economic and educational opportunities for the next generation.”
There are three other challengers for the 22nd District: Democrats Dary Rezvani and Bobby Bliatout, and Eric Garcia, listed as no party preference.
21st Congressional District: Cox vs. Valadao
California’s 21st Congressional District incumbent Rep. TJ Cox, D-Fresno, faces a November rematch with former Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford. Cox beat then-incumbent Valadao in 2018 by less than 1,000 votes.
The 21st District covers all of Kings County and parts of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties.
Cox was trailing in early reporting, with 15,484 votes (36.1%) compared with Valadao’s 22,770 (53.1%) as of Wednesday morning.
Valadao said in a statement Tuesday night that he is honored to have a wide array of support, and is looking forward to earning voters’ support again in November.
“From water to trade to the economy, everywhere I go voters want politicians to put aside the partisan fights and get to work on the issues that matter,” Valadao said. “That’s exactly what I plan to do. I look forward to earning voters’ support again in November.”
Cox has taken recent criticism for not paying some taxes and workers, and Valadao for a bankrupt family dairy that he had interest in while serving in Congress.
A father and son from San Diego, Roque and Ricardo de la Fuente, were also on the ballot for the 21st District. They are not expected to advance to November.
Other California primary election races
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, the incumbent representing the 4th Congressional District, was leading in votes against his five challengers. As of Wednesday morning, the state reported he had 54.3% of the vote with 100,027 votes, followed by Democrat Brynne Kennedy with 36.5% of the vote with 67,123 votes.
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, faced just one challenger, Democrat Kim Mangione.
In the California state Assembly, incumbents Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, of the 31st District; Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, of the 32nd District; and Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, of the 26th District also faced just one challenger and will advance to the general election.
State Assemblymen Frank Bigelow of the 5th District, Adam Gray of the 21st District and Jim Patterson of the 23rd District all ran unopposed.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Election 2020: Costa fends off Democratic challenge; Valadao/Cox rematch; Nunes to face Arballo."
