Backlash against Trump, ICE raids, gas prices fuels changing political tide in California heartland
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DELANO, Calif. —
asserted
Backlash → fuel → heartland
While cutting men’s hair in his barbershop, Jorge Navarro has been hearing the same concerns over and over: The prices of gas, food and housing are going up.
asserted
prices → cut → gas
Immigration agents are lurking outside stores and schools.
asserted
agents → lurk → stores
And President Trump and the Republicans are to blame.
asserted
Trump → blame → ?
Widespread dissatisfaction with the decisions being made in Washington, he said, helped Democrat Randy Villegas trounce Republican incumbent David Valadao to take his congressional seat in Tuesday’s election.
asserted
Villegas → make → election
“We want a change,” Navarro said, speaking in Spanish.
asserted
Navarro → want → Spanish
“We hope for a change.”
asserted
We → hope → change
Villegas won in a region of the San Joaquin Valley that has been dominated by Republicans for two decades.
asserted
that → win → decades
The majority Latino district stretches from western Fresno to Bakersfield, an agricultural area with dairy farms, grapevines and vast orchards of almonds, pistachios and oranges.
asserted
district → stretch → almonds
That Valadao lost to Villegas, a community college professor who ran on a populist message, was not a major surprise, given the gains Democrats made nationwide.
asserted
Democrats → lose → gains
But Villegas’ margin of victory left both Republican and Democratic leaders and operatives stunned.
asserted
margin → leave → leaders
The progressive challenger has maintained a lead of roughly 30 percentage points since election night.
asserted
challenger → maintain → night
Although votes still are being counted, the Associated Press has declared Villegas the winner.
asserted
Villegas → count → ?
“It was remarkable,” said Christian Romo, chair of the Kern County Democratic Party.
asserted
Romo → say → Party
“I knew we would win but didn’t expect this margin, and I didn’t think that we would have the turnout we did.”
asserted
we → know → turnout
Even Paul Mitchell, the redistricting and election data consultant who drew the reconfigured map to favor Democrats, was surprised by Villegas’ performance.
asserted
who → draw → performance
“We drew the district to be three points more effective for Democrats, and I was off by a factor of 12,” he said.
Though Democrats had a registration advantage even before voters approved the new congressional lines via Proposition 50, Valadao continually frustrated the party by winning over enough independent voters in what historically has been a low-turnout district.
asserted
what → draw → voters
This year voters turned out in droves, especially young Latinos, the district’s largest voting group.
asserted
voters → turn → droves
Though mail-in ballots still are being processed, turnout may have doubled compared with the last midterm election in 2022.
uncertain
turnout → mail → 2022
Republican and Democratic congressional candidates are wrestling with how to talk about immigration.
asserted
candidates → wrestle → immigration
They consistently call for a strong U.S.-Mexico border but then diverge, with some calling for ICE to be abolished while others support President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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others → call → crackdown
Villegas, who will turn 32 this week, credits an army of volunteer canvassers, who prioritized reaching out to people who did not have a history of voting.
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who → turn → voting
“So often we have this catch-22 cycle where young people, low-income communities, renters never vote because campaigns don’t talk to them, and campaigns don’t talk to them because they never vote,” he said.
asserted
he → have → them
He focused on the cost of living, healthcare and fighting back against moneyed interests in Washington, issues he said resonated with residents who so often feel ignored by those in power.
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who → focus → power
It’s not “about left versus right; it’s really us versus them,” Villegas said.
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Villegas → ’ → them
“Working families in the Central Valley and across this country who’ve been left behind by politicians who care more about power than people and who care more about catering to corporations than our communities.”
asserted
who → leave → communities
His populist and anti-establishment message apparently appealed to voters who felt squeezed by fuel prices and the effect tariffs have had on farms in the area.
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tariffs → appeal → area
Many of Villegas’ supporters also were energized by outrage over how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been pursuing immigrants and terrorizing their community.
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agents → energize → community
“People who used to support Trump don’t trust him anymore,” Navarro said in his Delano barbershop, adding that some of his relatives who previously backed Republicans switched sides to vote for Democrats.
asserted
who → use → Democrats
Navarro, a 67-year-old Mexican-born U.S. citizen, said Valadao has done a poor job in office.
asserted
Valadao → bear → office
One of Valadao’s biggest vulnerabilities in the race was his vote in favor of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included steep cuts to Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor, known in California as Medi-Cal.
asserted
which → include → Cal
The district has the highest proportion of Medi-Cal recipients in the state, with 67% of residents enrolled as of last year, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
uncertain
% → have → Foundation
Many residents also are worried, Navarro said, about the squads of ICE agents that have been appearing in the community to detain people.
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that → say → people
He said even American citizens and other legal U.S. residents with documents are afraid of being hauled away to detention centers.
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citizens → say → centers
He said one ICE team was spotted last week outside a Target store, and another by a high school.
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team → say → school
“The streets are sometimes very empty because people are afraid to go out,” Navarro said.
asserted
Navarro → go → ?
Since the raids began, he said, business at his shop has dropped about 50%.
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business → begin → shop
Two Democrats, Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas, battle for a chance to face Republican Rep. David Valadao in a southern Central Valley congressional seat after he voted to cut Medicaid funds.
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he → battle → funds
Victor Salazar, a 46-year-old farmworker who was getting a haircut, agreed that ICE agents are liable to seize anyone “if they see you look Hispanic.”
asserted
you → get → anyone
Despite being an American citizen, he fears being detained and will not go out if immigration agents are in the area.
asserted
agents → fear → area
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
