Fong, Boudreaux take different tactics in campaign for US Congressional District 20 race

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's a unique election season in Central California. For the third time in two months, some voters in the region will see the same candidates on the ballot.

Assemblyman Vince Fong and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux are facing off in a special election to fill the US Congressional District 20 seat left open by Kevin McCarthy in December while also hoping to take on the role long-term come January.

Fong, making campaign stops across the region as he treks back and forth from Bakersfield to Sacramento while continuing his work as a state assemblymember, a role he will have to give up if he wins the Special Election Primary on May 21.

To reach this point in the race, Fong had to win a potentially precedent-setting legal battle to allow him to continue his campaign because he had already filed to re-run for his state assembly seat when he entered the race for Congressional District 20.

"This was an anomaly that was created by the special election," said Fong. "You know, I've talked to the authors of the open primary. This conflict was supposed to be resolved, and it wasn't. And so now there's legislation to fix it."

Fong said he made it clear in his campaign that he was running to get to DC, a campaign in which he's spent more than $1.4 million, close to $600,000 of that has been on media advertisements.

In contrast, his opponent Sheriff Boudreaux has only spent nearly $370,000 overall and less than 100 thousand on media advertisement.

He said his focus is on meeting voters face-to-face.

"Television commercials can be very, very deceiving," said Boudreaux.

"I've had some very negative things said about me that are quite frankly untrue. And so what I wanted to do is get out and shake hands with people, and let them know who I am as a person, so they can see me face to face and ask those questions. And so I just took a little bit different approach."

Both Republicans have brought up similar issues in their campaigns, including border security, water infrastructure in the valley, and investment in California oil.

After Tuesday's election, the two are set to face off in the November Election for the full term in office.

Fong said he is set to stay in the race, but Boudreaux said he will need to decide after the outcome of the May 21st election.

If Boudreaux were to withdraw, Fong would be running unopposed in November.

Election Day is next Tuesday, but you can vote in person, by mail, or at a drop box now.

In both the general election for the seat and special election primary there was between 26 and 30% voter turnout in each of the four counties represented. Election officials are hoping to see a similar turnout in this race.

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