Valadao is the only California Republican who voted to impeach Trump. But the former President did not weigh in on his June race, even though the congressman was being challenged from the right by former Fresno City Council member Chris Mathys, who criticized his impeachment vote. Under California’s primary system, the top two finishers in the June primary, regardless of party, advance to the November general election. Valadao is currently in second place, behind first-place finisher Rudy Salas, a Democrat. But CNN has not yet projected the second place finisher as counting continues. Not far behind, in third place, is Mathys. The congressman lost a perennial swing seat in 2018 and then won it back in 2020 at the same time that Biden was comfortably carrying his district. This year, after redistricting, he’s running in a slightly more competitive district that lost some conservative…
