Close race for second spot in Congressional District 20 runoff

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- We're getting a look at the initial results of Tuesday's special election primary to fill Kevin McCarthy's open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

That term runs until January 2025.

The election results closely mirror those of the March 5th primary.

With Assemblyman Vince Fong taking a clear lead and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux and Marisa Wood coming out with close numbers.

Now, the three wait to see who will face Fong in the May run-off.

As of Wednesday, Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong has 41% of the vote and the AP projects he will advance to a run-off.

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, who is also a Republican, has 26%.

He is followed by Democrat Marisa Wood with 23%, and an estimated 84% of votes have been counted.

It's been months since Kevin McCarthy resigned as U.S. Representative for California's 20th Congressional District.

After he left the position in December, the seat sat empty. Now, voters must decide who will finish out his term.

On Tuesday, Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong received enough votes to move onto a May runoff.

Fong also recently placed first in the March 5th Primary for a full Congressional term beginning next year.

He is set to face fellow Republican Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux in the general election in November.

Boudreaux was in close competition with Democrat Marisa Wood in the March 5th primary, and that is being seen once again in the special election.

The two are waiting to see who will advance to face Fong in the May runoff.

Although Wood is out of the race for the November election, she's still hopeful for this race. She's pleased with how she's performed as a Democrat in one of the state's most conservative districts.

"I hope that I am an instrument for change in this district, too," said Marisa Wood, Candidate for Congressional District 20. "It doesn't have to remain a Republican-held district. I put up a great fight, you know? I'm in it, and I believe that speaks to the power of change."

She said she is ready to go to work for the district, even if that means only holding office for about six months.

Boudreaux is watching Wood's numbers closing but is hopeful he'll maintain his lead.

"She's just right behind me, very close," said Boudreaux. "She's only a couple thousand behind, so we'll have to wait and see until the final tally, but if it continues trending as we expect it to, we would argue that we will be in the top two for the May election."

If Boudreaux moves onto the May runoff, he said he is committed to staying in both the special election and the general election.

Fong, who was not available for an interview, released a statement Wednesday that read, in part:

"I am grateful that voters have once again chosen experienced, common-sense leadership to represent the Central Valley in Washington D.C."

Whether it is Wood or Boudreaux facing Fong, the special election runoff will be held on May 21st.

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