Republican · California's 22nd District · 2026
David Valadao
Valadao grew up in Hanford on the dairy farm his father started after the family immigrated from Portugal's Azores Islands.
Biography
David Valadao's teenage mornings included feeding cows and handling hay before school on his family's Hanford dairy.1 His parents immigrated from Portugal's Azores Islands in 1969, and his father started the farm in 1973.2 He married his high school sweetheart Terra in 1999, and they have three children.2
He graduated from Hanford High in 1995 and attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia.2 His working life has remained connected to dairies and farmland producing almonds, corn and wheat.2 He has held leadership roles in dairy organizations and cooperatives as well as participating in local charities.2
Valadao entered California's Assembly after the 2010 election and became the Agriculture Committee's vice chairman.2 First elected to Congress in 2012, he lost in 2018 and returned after winning in 2020.3 He has served on Appropriations throughout his congressional terms.2 He and Vince Fong advocated funding for the South Valley water project, which was awarded a federal grant announced in September 2026.4
His campaign emphasizes more reliable water, lower household costs, jobs and training, and protecting seniors' and veterans' benefits.3 Democrat Randy Villegas is his November challenger in a district whose boundaries changed after Proposition 50.3
Record and controversies
Dairy wage settlement
In September 2019, the Fresno Bee reported that Valadao's family dairies had not paid a $325,000 wage settlement reached in 2018.5 His uncle settled on the dairies' behalf while denying wrongdoing; Valadao said he was not involved in their daily operations.5 His campaign confirmed nonpayment but disputed the wage claims, saying the settlement aimed to avoid litigation costs and preserve jobs.5 Later payment was not verified in this review.
Dairy safety fine
The Fresno Bee reported in 2020 that state officials fined Valadao Dairy for inadequate training and missing guardrails after a worker suffered a serious injury in 2016.6 The negotiated $6,450 penalty was paid in May 2017.6 The report said Valadao had bought the equipment before entering Congress but was not running the dairy's daily operations at the time of the accident.6 His campaign called it a tragic accident and said he was not interested in assigning blame.6
Creditor disclosure complaint
The Fresno Bee reported in 2021 that a constituent, working with United Farm Workers, filed an ethics complaint over unnamed creditors in Valadao's financial disclosures.7 The complaint questioned whether individual debts exceeded the $10,000 disclosure threshold.7 His spokesperson called it a baseless partisan attack and said the office had not been notified of the complaint; the office confirmed that the family farm's bankruptcy had cleared the debts.7 An agency investigation or later ruling was not verified in this review.
Campaign salary complaint dismissed
A 2020 complaint alleged that Valadao's leadership PAC improperly subsidized his campaign manager's salary.8 His committees said the payments reflected separate work for each committee.8 The general counsel recommended dismissal, citing low priority, speculative allegations and low dollar amounts.8 In April 2022, the FEC unanimously dismissed the case using prosecutorial discretion and closed the file.9