Valadao

Is this why the GOP lost?The Republicans were shocked when the final vote count in CA-21, dealt them a 7th lost seat. No one really expected TJ Cox to beat David Valadao. The final forecast from FiveThirtyEight gave Valadao a 79% chance at reelection. The last public poll showed Valadao beating Cox 50-39%.

Emilio Huerta and his very special mother, Dolores HuertaI'm pretty sure David Valadao is, by the numbers, the most endangered incumbent running for reelection this year. His Central Valley district, CA-21, stretches from the suburbs south of Fresno, through Hanford and Corcoran, Coalinga and Delano down to the east side of Bakersfield. The district is over 72% Latino and Obama won it with 52% in 2008 and with 55% in 2012.

Anger at the DCCC is spreading. Well, anger at the DCCC has been huge for over a decade; that it's being talked about more openly and more aggressively at the grassroots level is what's different. Chris Van Hollen and Steve Israel lost dozens and dozens of Democratic House seats (incumbents) and ruined the chances of even more Democratic challengers trying to beat Republicans.

DCCC and EMILY's List working towards a reduxRepublican David Valadao is the congressman from CA-21-- a Central Valley district that includes all of heavily Hispanic Kings county and chunks of Fresno and Kern counties, including the Hispanic neighborhoods of Bakersfield, Fresno's southern and western suburbs, Hanford, Delano, Wasco, Coalinga and Mendota. The district is 72.1% Latino, has a D+2 PVI saw Obama beat McCain 52-46% and then beat Romney 55-44% and yet...

One of the tragedies around Pelosi's decision to appoint and reappoint corrupt Blue Dog Steve Israel to head the DCCC for the last 2 cycles is that he has taken all Republican leaders and all Republican committee chairs off the table. None, not even ones in vulnerable seats, have been or will be opposed by the DCCC.

Amanda RenteriaA few months ago, an old friend was raving to me about a woman he had worked with at the Treasury Department, Amanda Renteria. She's running for the Central Valley seat currently occupied by mainstream conservative Republican David Valadao. CA-21 stretches from just south and west of Fresno, down through Hanford and Delano to Bakersfield, which it shares with Kevin McCarthy's 23rd CD. McCarthy's deep red district has a PVI of R+16 and Romney beat Obama there 62-36%.