DELANO, CA - In case you missed it, new reporting from The Sacramento Bee revealed that the Congressional Leadership Fund – the House Republican PAC – is actively working to boost  Randy Villegas in the CA-22 primary, in what political experts say is a clear attempt to elevate the candidate Republicans believe would be easier for David Valadao to beat in November.

The story confirms what Dr. Bains' supporters already know: both parties have done the math, and Dr. Jasmeet Bains is the stronger general election candidate. 

Sacramento Bee: “The mailer is likely an attempt by Republicans to elevate Villegas, whom they view as the easier candidate to beat, according to multiple political experts. The PAC is dedicated to electing Republicans to the House.” 

"Jasmeet Bains is the stronger general election candidate." — Erik Polyak, executive director of 314 Action,  which endorses candidates with medical and science backgrounds. 

“Republicans should be scared of the momentum behind our campaign. This has always been about electing the best candidate for the Valley who can take on David Valadao and win in November. That’s Dr. Jasmeet Bains, and she’s ready to take on the Republicans, their schemes, and their failed agenda of ripping health care away and raising costs on working families,” said Campaign Spokesperson Jeff Gozzo.  

Read the full piece here. 

Key takeaways from the piece:

• The Congressional Leadership Fund sent a mailer praising Villegas to voters in CA-22—a transparent attempt to boost Villegas, who they likely view as the easier candidate to beat. 
  

• “In most of these swing districts, you want candidates that appeal to the median voter, and…CLF views Villegas as someone who’s going to turn off median voters and push them closer to Valadao,” said Alex Tavlian, a Republican and Central Valley consultant.
  

• 314 Action, which backs candidates with science backgrounds and endorsed Bains, framed the mailer as an attempt to boost the “weaker opponent.”
  

• “This is probably the one competitive seat in California — truly competitive,” said Mike Madrid, a longtime Republican political consultant…“So I think the Republicans have to pull all the stops to do anything that they can in a year that’s going to likely be a tough year for them.”
  

• The mailer comes just days after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Party’s House campaign and fundraising arm, signaled party leadership’s preference for Bains.
  

• Tavlian said both the House Democrats and Republican leadership have reached the same “calculus,” with their internal polling likely showing that Bains provides the tougher battle for Valadao.
  

• “They’re going to engage and try to keep the favorable option viable, and see if they can see them through to the general,” he said.

About Dr. Jasmeet Bains
Dr. Jasmeet Bains is a Central Valley family doctor and State Assemblymember who has spent her life fighting for working families. The daughter of immigrants and a Delano native, she served on the frontlines of California wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic before winning office in 2022. In Sacramento, she’s delivered results —securing $20 million to enhance public safety and tackle the Central Valley's fentanyl crisis. She continues to lead the fight for more affordable and accessible healthcare, clean water, and dignity for vulnerable Californians, all while still treating patients at her hometown clinic on weekends.

California’s 22nd Congressional District spans parts of Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno and Madera Counties — including many communities Dr. Bains already represents in the State Assembly.