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Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in California's 20th congressional district

2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.

Candidates
2
Incumbent
Vince Fong
Parties
Republican · Democratic
State primary
Jun 2

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

2 candidates · ballot order · Vince Fong currently holds this seat

Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Water infrastructure funding for the Central Valley, including addressing the invasive golden mussel threat.
  • Expanding domestic energy production and keeping California refineries and pipelines open.
  • Support for the district's military installations — China Lake, Edwards Air Force Base and the Fresno air wing.
  • Opposition to California's high-speed rail project, which he calls a broken promise given cost rises from $33 billion to about $125 billion with no track laid.
  • Roadway and freight infrastructure in Kern County.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Elected to the U.S. House in a special election on May 21, 2024, and re-elected to a full term that November with 65.1% of the vote.
  • Member of the California State Assembly before entering Congress.
  • Voted for H.R. 4553, the fiscal 2026 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill.
  • Announced $104 million in fiscal 2026 district funding, including $3 million for the Centennial Corridor connector ramp in Kern County.
  • Led the June 2, 2026 primary field.

Arguments in favor

  • His office says he is "in constant contact with constituents", holding meetings with community members and local officials and running recurring office hours at locations across Kern County.

    A spokesperson for Vince Fong, quoted by The Bakersfield Californian

  • He publishes his votes and legislative work openly through his House office for constituents to check.

    Office of Rep. Vince Fong

Arguments against

  • He is not meeting the constituents who are angry about the administration — which is why a congressman from another district, Ro Khanna, came to Bakersfield to hold a town hall in his place.

    Rep. Ro Khanna, reported by The Bakersfield Californian

  • He voted for the House Republican budget blueprint in February, which local Democrats say opens the door to cuts in Medicare and Medicaid in a county that depends heavily on both.

    Bakersfield Democrats at the 'Benefits Over Billionaires' town hall, reported by The Bakersfield Californian

What we couldn’t verify

  • Whether Fong has held an open in-person town hall of his own was not established from the sources found beyond his office's description of office hours and meetings.
  • No Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee page about him by name was found, and no criticism of him from his general election opponent.
  • The district's boundaries changed under Proposition 50, approved in November 2025; how that changes his position was not established from the sources found.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Water infrastructure for rural towns whose water districts are underfunded.
  • Advocacy for underserved parts of the district, particularly Ridgecrest and the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station as a national security asset.
  • Protecting Medicaid.
  • Birthright citizenship: "I believe if a person is born here, they are a citizen regardless of their parents' citizenship."

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Direct support professional working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Resident of Ridgecrest.
  • Has not held elected office.
  • Advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Van Scotter by name could be found: not from Vince Fong or his campaign, not from the National Republican Congressional Committee, and not from Kern County news coverage. Because no case against her exists on the record, none is presented for her either, rather than showing her own campaign's case unanswered.
  • Her positions and record were not stated in material available.
  • Her fundraising totals were not reported in material available.

Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.

California's June 2, 2026 top-two primary sent Republican incumbent Vince Fong and Democrat Sandra Van Scotter to the November ballot from a four-candidate field. The district takes in parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties including Bakersfield, and is the most Republican district in California, rated R+15 by the Cook Political Report. Neither candidate is listed with arguments for or against here: no published criticism of either candidate by name from someone opposing them could be found, and setting out a case against one and not the other would tilt the page.

This is one contest on a longer ballot

A California ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.

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