Vince Fong will face off against Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux again in November to win the full two-year term.
California Assemblymember Vince Fong won a special election on Tuesday to replace ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) until the end of his term next January.
The Associated Press announced the result on Tuesday night. Mr. Fong, a protege of Mr. McCarthy, beat out Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux in the special runoff election to fill the seat.
“With the campaign over, the real work now begins,” Mr. Fong said in a statement. He added that he will focus on border security, supporting small businesses, investments in water storage and infrastructure critical for agriculture, “unleashing our energy industry,” and national security.
The runoff came after both Republicans emerged as the top two contenders in a March 19 special election in which neither won more than 50 percent of the vote. Mr. Fong received 42 percent of the vote, and Mr. Boudreaux received 26 percent.
Mr. Fong, who had the backing of former President Donald Trump and Mr. McCarthy, will now serve out the remainder of Mr. McCarthy’s term.
After being sworn in, Mr. Fong will increase the slim majority that Republicans currently hold in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The timing of his swearing-in is not immediately clear, as the decision is up to the current House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Currently, the House GOP can only afford to lose one vote on any bill if Democrats vote along party lines. Republicans currently hold only 11 of California’s 52 seats in the House. With the district once held by Mr. McCarthy remaining in GOP hands, it will give Republicans 12 seats in the state delegation and boost the party’s fragile edge in Congress by a single vote.
Mr. Fong and Mr. Boudreaux faced off on two ballots held in March, one to replace Mr. McCarthy for the remainder of his term and the other to win his seat in the general election. The May ballot was a runoff after neither candidate secured the votes needed at the March 19 election.
