CA special election held Tuesday in race to replace Kevin McCarthy

Tuesday, March 19, California's 20th Congressional District held a special election to fill the seat vacated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

This is the second election for the district. The primary for a full term starting in January 2025 was held on March 5. Tuesday’s primary is to complete the rest of McCarthy’s term.

McCarthy, whose brief tenure as speaker was marked by infighting and gridlock, announced his resignation in December, two months after hard-right members of his conference successfully engineered his ouster. He had represented the Central Valley — one of the state’s few reliably red districts — since 2007.

There are nine candidates on the ballot. All candidates run on the same ballot, regardless of party. If the top candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, that candidate wins the seat through the end of the year. If no one tops 50%, the top two candidates advance to a May 21 runoff election.

There are four Republican candidates running, including the front-runners Vince Fong, a state assemblyman, and Mike Boudreaux, the Tulare County sheriff. Fong has received endorsements from McCarthy, whom he used to advise, and former President Donald Trump, while Boudreaux has more local support, including from countyleaders and several Republican groups in the district.

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Democrats have lined up behind Marisa Wood, who advanced to the general election against McCarthy in 2022 but finished third in the March 5 election.

Regardless of what happens in the special election, the district is guaranteed to be represented by a Republican in the next Congress, with Fong and Boudreaux advancing to the general election for a full term.

Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, 219-213, with three vacancies, though a special election to fill a vacant seat in Ohio is also taking place Tuesday and another representative announced he will resign on March 22.

SPECIAL ELECTION DAY

The special primary election in California’s 20th Congressional District will be held Tuesday, March 19. Polls close at 8 p.m. PST. 

WHO IS ON THE BALLOT

The Democratic candidates on the ballot are Wood and Harmesh Kumar. The Republican candidates are Fong, Boudreaux, Kyle Kirkland and Anna Cohen. The remaining three candidates are Ben Dewell, David Fluhart and James Cardoza, all running as "no party preference."

WHO CAN VOTE

Any voter registered in California’s 20th Congressional District may participate in this special election.