BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- The 2026 Election is already underway, as candidates throw their names in the ring for local, state and federal offices. Monday morning, Randy Villegas announced his run for California's 22nd Congressional District. 17 political reporter Jenny Huh sat down with Vi llegas for a local exclusive candidate profile. CD-22 is one of the most contentious House races nationwide, each election cycle, without fail. The big question for 2026 -- will Villegas be the Democratic candidate? "I am running for Congress in California's 22nd Congressional District," Villegas announced to a cheering crowd Monday morning at the Liberty Bell in downtown Bakersfield. The 30-year-old Democrat will be running against longtime incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao in the 2026 Midterm Election. "I think our communities work too damn hard to not have a representative who's going to stand up and speak on the issues, especially when those issues are going to impact us so dearly," Villegas said in a sit-down interview with 17 News Monday morning, ahead of the big announcement. Villegas, a professor at the College of the Sequoias and elected board member of the Visalia Unified School District, calls himself a product of public education. "I was the first in my family to graduate from Bakersfield College, then CSUB, and then I earned a full-ride fellowship to UC Santa Cruz to get my PhD," he said. Villegas also described himself as a son of the Central Valley, son of Mexico immigrants and son of a working-class family that can represent working-class constituents. Though no stranger to advocacy work, Villegas -- in recent weeks -- has been front and center of rallies protesting potential cuts to federal assistance programs like Medicare, as Republicans work to cut spending in their new budget blueprint. "It's just something I couldn't stand for," Villegas explained. "And so immediately, I began speaking out against these cuts… to Medicare, to SNAP, to WIC. These are programs that I grew up on. My mother was one of the 40,000+ women in this district who relied on WIC to make sure she had baby formula to feed me." Villegas added that he not only wants to protect but expand those programs. "We know that the Central Valley feeds the world, and yet our workers are struggling to feed their families. And that's because right now, we have Congress that's prioritizing tax cuts for billionaires," the congressmember hopeful stated. Now, Villegas is a declared candidate for one of the nation's most competitive House races. CD-22 includes Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. It's majority Latino and leans Democrat, yet CD-22 is a purple district -- there's a fair shot of it flipping blue or red in each election. Though his Democratic predecessor -- Rudy Salas -- former California Assemblymember, Bakersfield City Councilmember and two-time CD-22 candidate against Valadao -- failed to flip the seat blue, despite being the Democratic candidate at the local, state and national levels. 17's Jenny Huh: "When it comes to the Democrats and the Democratic candidates in the race, does it come down to you and Rudy at this point?" Randy Villegas: "I actually interned for him back in college, so there is a relationship there. But with all due respect, I don't think that third time is going to be the charm." Villegas is more progressive than Salas and is also affiliated with the progressive Working Families Party. He said he's already working to earn the endorsements of party leaders, like Dolores Huerta, a steadfast fierce backer of Salas. Salas confirmed with 17 News he is not ruling out a 2026 run. He's also filed papers delcaring an intention to run. Another important consideration for Villegas in this race will be CD-22's typically low voter turnout. 17's Jenny Huh: "In 2022, in 2024, [Salas] just didn't see that Democratic, that Latino base turn out to vote. How are you going to get voters to turn out?" Randy Villegas: "Beyond just contacting [voters], it's also giving people something to believe in. When you look at some of the issues, with all due respect to Assemblyman Salas and Congressman Valadao, a lot of the times, I felt I was listening to the same person." Villegas also spoke with confidence in saying he'll run a people-powered campaign and that his issues transcend party lines. Healthcare concerns, like Valley Fever, the candidate noted, affects everyone, whether they're Democrat, Republican or voted in the last election. The candidate also promised at least two in-person town halls each year, offering constituents a time to ask questions and provide feedback. Click here to watch the full interview with Randy Villegas. ...read more read less