Democrat · California's 22nd District · 2026
Randy Villegas
Villegas grew up in Kern County, the son of parents from Mexico, in a household that relied on public assistance at times.
Biography
Randy Villegas grew up in Kern County in a family that sometimes relied on Medi-Cal and WIC to make ends meet.1 His parents immigrated from Mexico, and he went on to become the first in his family to earn a doctorate.12 His professional life now combines teaching, a family auto repair business and local school board service.3
Villegas attended Golden Valley High and graduated from Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield before his later graduate studies.3 He teaches political science at the College of the Sequoias.3 His community work has included mentoring and organizing in the Valley.2
On Visalia's school board, his campaign highlights work supporting pay increases for teachers and staff.3 After advancing through the June primary, he joined the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program, which provides campaign and fundraising support.1
Villegas advocates Medicare for All, negotiated prescription prices, apprenticeships and stronger rights to organize unions.3 He also supports a congressional stock trading ban and restrictions on former lawmakers becoming lobbyists.3 He faces Republican incumbent David Valadao in November's election for the newly drawn district.3
Record and controversies
School settlement advertisements
KGET reported in May 2026 that Villegas voted with Visalia's school board to approve settlements totaling nearly $15 million in historical sexual abuse cases.4 Political advertisements before the June primary alleged that confidentiality clauses silenced survivors, but the report found language preserving their right to disclose the underlying facts.4 Two lawyers consulted by KGET said the agreement complied with California law; Villegas said the settlements offered survivors justice on their own terms and denied silencing them.4
School worker hiring vote
The Daily Wire reported that Villegas joined an October 2022 Visalia school board vote approving a personnel list that included a returning worker with earlier allegations of inappropriate messages to a student.5 The report said the cover memo did not disclose that history; Villegas said administrators made hiring decisions and called the abuse charges deeply disturbing and unacceptable.5 The worker pleaded guilty to eleven felony counts in May 2026 and received a five year prison sentence in July for crimes committed between September 2022 and April 2023.6