Vince Fong

Vince Fong grew up in Bakersfield, where his father, an immigrant from Hong Kong, worked in a pharmacy.¹ As a child, Fong struggled with a stutter and credits teachers and mentors with helping him become more comfortable speaking publicly.¹ He and his wife Amanda make their home in Bakersfield.²

Fong earned his bachelor's degree at UCLA and a master's at Princeton before building a career on congressional staffs.² He worked on trade policy for Bill Thomas and then spent nearly a decade as Kevin McCarthy's district director.² His local work included organizing a symposium bringing attention to Valley fever and its research needs.²

Elected to California's Assembly in 2016, Fong won a special congressional election in May 2024.² His work in Washington includes transportation, supply chains, aerospace and support for regional military installations.² His Clergy Act, signed on October 20, 2026, lets eligible clergy who previously opted out of Social Security resume contributions for the 2029 or 2030 tax year.³

Fong favors more water storage, infrastructure investment, domestic energy production and access to veterans' benefits.² He and David Valadao advocated federal funding for the South Valley water project, which was awarded a grant announced in September 2026.⁴ Democrat Sandra Van Scotter is his November challenger.⁵