Last Remaining House Republican To Vote For Trump Impeachment Defeated By Sanders-Backed Opponent

Rep. David Valadao, a Republican who voted for Trump's impeachment, loses reelection in California's 22nd District, CBS News projects. https://t.co/EwWftRBz30

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 4, 2026

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Valadao was first elected in 2012, but lost in 2018 when Democrats flipped more than 40 seats and won back control of the House. He won the seat back from Democrats in 2020, and went on to become one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump. Only two remain in Congress — Valadao and Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, who is retiring.

Villegas, a progressive, edged out a moderate Democrat in the top-two nonpartisan primary to advance to the general election alongside Valadao. Villegas’ primary win was an embarrassing defeat for establishment Democrats, who intervened in the Central Valley contest to boost the moderate candidate.

The intraparty primary feud played out in a district that is heavily Hispanic — a key constituency that shifted away from Democrats in 2024 — and came amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over how well progressives could perform in competitive races. But polls leading up to the midterms showed Mr. Trump’s approval ratings with Latino voters were cratering.

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Sanders-backed progressive ousts Rep. David Valadao https://t.co/T4wTa9ezeD

— POLITICO (@politico) November 4, 2026

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The House Republican also faced scrutiny for his deciding vote to cut funding for federal healthcare programs last year. At least 64% of his constituents rely on Medicaid, according to CalMatters.

Valadao also had to battle his party’s association with Trump, whose approval ratings continue to decline. This provided a window of opportunity for the congressman’s opponent to catch up.

Villegas, propelled by an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other sitting Democrats in Congress, secured second place behind Valadao in California’s open primary election on June 2. In the primary, Valadao garnered over 40% of the vote compared to Villegas’s 32%.

There were not many polls for this House race, so it was unclear whether Valadao was going to coast to victory.

In 2024, Valadao won reelection by nearly 7 points against the Democratic challenger. In that same year, Trump carried Valadao’s district by nearly 2 points.

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