The Associated Press called the Democratic primary for California's 22nd congressional district for Randy Villegas on Tuesday evening, setting up a November midterm matchup between the political newcomer and long-time incumbent Rep. David Valadao.Looking at vote counts as of Wednesday, Villegas resonated with voters throughout the district, including in Kern County, where his Democratic opponent Esmeralda Bains has made a name for herself as a state assemblywoman. Villegas beat out Bains in nearly every county on the Democratic ticket, except for the small portion of Madera County the district covers, where Bains received 39 votes to Villegas' 29.The AP called the race at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with Villegas advancing to November. Shortly after, Bains released a statement via email that reads:My heart is full of gratitude for the trust and hard work so many have placed in this campaign. As the first Sikh American elected to the California State Assembly, I am humbled by the outpouring of support from our community. While I had looked forward to gathering with supporters on election night, we respected requests from law enforcement to avoid Downtown Bakersfield during an emergency situation. My team and I were honored to deliver food from the party to feed the first responders who worked overnight to free the hostages and keep our community safe. I ran for Congress because my patients' health care came under attack, and my oath as a doctor would not let me stand on the sidelines. While this campaign has come to an end, my fight for healthcare has not. I will never accept that the Valley must settle for less, not on health care, not on jobs, and not on the future every Valley kid deserves. You can count on me to keep doing what I've done my entire career: caring for my patients and constituents as a family doctor - serving the community that raised me.Voters still overwhelmingly favored Valadao, with the incumbent from Hanford receiving about 6,300 more votes than Villegas as of Wednesday afternoon.Villegas said the support he has earned so far will only grow as November approaches."Whether they voted for one of our opponents or whether they chose to sit out the primary election, we look forward to earning your support and that we want to fight for every single person across the Central Valley," Villegas said. "We're going to continue to work extremely hard every single day just like we were doing in the primary to meet every voter where they're at."As Villegas turns toward the general election, he said he feels it is necessary to win over Bains' voter base. Former Kern County Democratic Party committee member Flor Olvera said that dynamic played out in the primary and expects it to continue through November."You can't just tell a voter this is the chosen candidate, right? There has to be enthusiasm. There has to be a candidate that's talking to voters and really just speaking to them on a level where they're making a connection, and I think that's what we saw in this race," Olvera said.Though the AP has called the race, the results are not finalized until they are canvassed and certified by the Secretary of State. That process can be completed between now and July 10.Election Day for the November midterms is Nov. 3.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less