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Valley Political Races Heat Up Ahead Of June Primary

Joe Moore
/
Valley Public Radio

California's June primary election is just over 40 days away. That means candidates are kicking their campaigns into high gear across Central California. So what are the hot races to watch? We recently spoke with the Fresno Bee's state and local politics reporter John Ellis to get his analysis of the most competitive races including:

  • Can Republican Congressmen David Valadao (CA-21) hold off a strong challenger in Sanger Democat Amanda Renteria, in a district where Democrats hold a voter registration edge?
  • Does political newcomer Michael Eggman, a Democrat have a chance to unseat Turlock Republican Congressman Jeff Denham (CA-10)?
  • One year after winning a special election in the State Senate, can Hanford's Andy Vidak defeat challenger Luis Chavez of Fresno, in another district that leans Democratic that is held by a Republican? 
  • Is the Fresno County DA's race between Elizabeth Egan and Lisa Sondergaard Smittcamp overshadowing other races in Fresno County including two open seats on the Board of Supervisors?
  • Does Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin stand a chance in her race for the office of State Controller?
Joe Moore is the President and General Manager of KVPR / Valley Public Radio. He has led the station through major programming changes, the launch of KVPR Classical and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership the station was named California Non-Profit of the Year by Senator Melissa Hurtado (2019), and won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting (2022).