California state Assemblyman Vince Fong won the special election to serve out the remainder of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) term in the House.
Fong defeated Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux (R) in Tuesday’s runoff election. The former House Speaker and California Congressman was a mentor to Fong and endorsed him early in the race to succeed him.
Though Fong is now set to fill McCarthy’s seat for the rest of the term, he and Boudreaux will go up against each other again to win a full term representing California’s 20th congressional district this November after they both advanced from a regularly scheduled primary earlier this year.
McCarthy announced his exit from the lower chamber after a short tenure in the top House role ended with his historic removal from the Speakership.
Prior to McCarthy’s resignation, Fong also filed to run for reelection in the California State Assembly, where he represents the Bakersfield area.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) attempted to keep Fong out of the Congressional race, since he’d already declared for the state-level position and California law bars candidates from appearing twice. But, a judge ruled in late December that Fong could run.
