Republican Vince Fong Wins California Special Election For McCarthy’s Seat

California state Assemblyman Vince Fong has won the special election to succeed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the state’s 20th Congressional District.

Fong’s victory in the GOP clash against Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux will help House Republicans maintain their majority on Capitol Hill.

McCarthy announced in December that he would resign from his seat. He endorsed Fong as his successor. McCarthy has openly warred with the eight GOP congressmen who voted to remove him, especially Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The first round of the special election took place in March, with all candidates running on the same ballot. Fong, who also had the support of Donald Trump, finished first ahead of Boudreaux and Democrat Marisa Wood. He did not take the majority of the vote, so the race moved to this month’s face-off between the two leading candidates in California’s “jungle primary” system.

The 20th District contest was the first of three House special elections taking place to fill GOP seats over the next five weeks. The next is on June 11 in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District. Voters will elect a successor to former Rep. Bill Johnson, who resigned to become the president of Youngstown State University.

On June 25, Colorado’s 4th District will decide on a successor to former Rep. Ken Buck, a conservative who clashed with his own party.

The GOP margin has dwindled in recent weeks to just one seat, making control of the chamber extremely tenuous.