After staying in third place since the June 7th primary, Emilio Huerta, candidate for the 21st Congressional District, finally pulled ahead of Fowler Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Parra. Rep. David Valadao continues his dominating lead with 55.7% of the vote while Huerta now has 22.8% and Parra has 21.5%.
Huerta and Parra are battling for second place and a chance to challenge Valadao in the November general election. Even though this is a rural and heavily Democratic-leaning district, Rep David Valadao easily won his seat in 2012 and 2014.
The day following the election Parra was still holding the lead over Huerta by 462 votes, but there were still tens of thousands left to count. According to the last update by the California Secretary of State website Huerta had pulled 797 votes ahead of Parra. The four counties that make up the 21st district, Tulare, Kern, Fresno and Kings, are close to finishing their vote count and it is assumed that Huerta will retain his lead.
Huerta put out the following press release in response to the Secretary of State’s updates.
Emilio Huerta Advances to General Election in CA-21
Pledges to fight for better education, more jobs, and quality healthcare for the Central Valley
The Bakersfield Californian confirmed that civil rights attorney Emilio Huerta secured the votes needed to advance to the general election for California’s 21st Congressional District. In response to the results, Huerta released the following statement:
“The people of the Central Valley are tired of being misrepresented in Washington D.C. and made
that clear with their votes. I thank my colleague Daniel Parra for bringing forth important issues and I
look forward to working with him as we improve the economic well-being of our district.
“We’re one step closer to a historic win for the Central Valley, the next step in a movement that
began decades ago in Delano right here in our district. A movement that represented fairness and
justice for all families and not just the privileged few. I’m committed to ensuring the hardworking
people of the Central Valley gain access to better education, more jobs, and quality healthcare.
“But we’ve got a long way to go until November. Congressman David Valadao is wrong for the Valley
and continues to put up obstacles for families and workers. We must roll up our sleeves and
strengthen our organizing ground game to ensure that we keep Trump-supporting Republicans, like
Congressman David Valadao, out of Washington D.C.”
Emilio Huerta was born and raised in the Central Valley by the leaders of the historic farmworkers’
movement. From negotiating for the United Farm Workers, to serving as General Counsel for the National Farm Workers Service Center, to running his own civil rights law practice, Huerta’s priority has always been ensuring Central Valley workers are treated fairly and with respect. In Congress, Huerta will empower the Central Valley and stop Washington from holding our families back.
California’s 21 st Congressional District stretches across the Central Valley and is considered one of the most competitive congressional seats in the country.