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Water access, labor availability and rising production costs are among the issues facing California’s Central Valley as voters prepare to choose between incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R) and challenger Randy Villegas (D) in the Nov. 3 election.
Valadao, who grew up on his family’s dairy in Hanford, Calif., represents the Central Valley in Congress. He first entered Congress in 2013 after serving in the California State Assembly, lost his seat in 2018 and returned to the House in 2021. He serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Appropriations Committee, with much of his congressional work focusing on water infrastructure and agricultural policy.
Villegas is a political science professor at the College of the Sequoias and a trustee on the Visalia Unified School Board. Raised in Bakersfield, he earned a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz, before returning to the Central Valley to teach. His campaign focuses on affordability, water access, immigration reform and economic pressures facing the region’s agricultural communities.
Farm Journal reached out to both candidates with questions about their agricultural priorities. Villegas shared his views on water infrastructure, labor, specialty crop assistance and other agricultural issues. Valadao did not respond to Farm Journal’s request.
Water Takes Center Stage
Villegas identifies water infrastructure, immigration reform and economic assistance for specialty crop growers among his top agricultural priorities. He also supports more investment in precision agriculture research and technology.
“Water in the Valley is life. It’s our drinking water, our jobs, our farms, and our economy,” Villegas says.
He calls for investment in water storage, groundwater recharge, canals and other infrastructure to capture more water during wet years and prepare for dry conditions.
“We need a diversified approach because there isn’t one project that’s going to solve the Valley’s water challenges,” he says.
Water policy is also part of Valadao’s congressional record. In 2016, he supported the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, which included provisions related to California water projects.
“As a dairy farmer and a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, I know firsthand just how important water is to farmers and families in California,” Valadao said in 2021. “I promised my constituents that I would fight to bring more water to the Valley. I introduced legislation to extend the authorities under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016, providing access to safe, clean, and reliable water for our communities.”
Immigration Reform and Agricultural Labor
Labor is another focus for Villegas, who says immigration reform is needed to stabilize the agricultural workforce and address hiring challenges across the region.
“Labor is a huge pressure for the entire agriculture sector right now,” he says. “We need comprehensive immigration reform to stabilize and grow the agricultural workforce here in the Valley so that farmers can hire the skilled labor they need to harvest and process their crops.”
Villegas also supports changes to agricultural visa programs such as H-2A, with protections for workers and their wages. He says he would work with lawmakers to find common ground on immigration policy.
Valadao has also backed changes to agricultural visa programs. In May 2025, he joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in reintroducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would update the H-2A guest-worker program, provide a pathway to legal status for eligible agricultural workers and expand access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs.
In 2026, Valadao also co-sponsored the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, which would modify H-2A requirements to better accommodate year-round agricultural operations, including dairy farms. The bill would also create a pathway for eligible undocumented agricultural workers to participate in the program.
Specialty Crop Support and Farm Technology
Villegas wants to increase economic assistance for specialty crop growers, arguing some have received inadequate support through previous relief programs.
“I want to ensure that specialty crop farmers have a seat at the table,” he says. “For too long, and too often recently, we have seen specialty crop farmers left behind.”
He also calls for more investment in precision agriculture research, development and adoption to improve efficiency and productivity across specialty crops and row crops.
“The right piece of technology can revolutionize a farm operation, and both specialty crops and row crops can benefit from adopting these new technologies,” he says.
Valadao has also supported efforts to help specialty crop growers adopt new technology. In 2023, he introduced the Specialty Crop Mechanization Assistance Act, which proposed a federal grant program to help growers purchase automated equipment and train workers. The bill aims to make labor-saving technology more accessible as growers face workforce shortages.
Different Views on Farm Economics
Villegas says he wants policies that encourage competition and give smaller and family-owned operations more opportunity to compete. He calls for greater market transparency and changes to what he describes as an industry trend toward consolidation.
“Government policies should reward hard work and fair competition, not promote corporate interests, consolidation, and collusion,” he says.
Villegas says the pressure on farm businesses extends beyond production costs. Weather, global conflicts and tariffs can all affect farm income, making it difficult to plan ahead.
“You can control what you plant and when you plant it, but you can’t control global conflicts, severe weather, or tariffs,” he says. “I’d like to see more certainty and stability so that farmers can make their ends meet from the market.”
Valadao’s work in Congress has focused in part on water access, agricultural labor and policies affecting farm operations. He has supported changes to agricultural visa programs, including the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would update the H-2A program and provide a pathway to legal status for eligible agricultural workers. He has also introduced legislation aimed at helping specialty crop growers purchase automated equipment and train workers amid labor shortages.
Villegas criticizes Valadao’s support for federal policies he believes have hurt agricultural communities, including decisions involving international trade and government spending. He points to a $40 billion financial package for Argentina, arguing it puts U.S. beef producers at a disadvantage.
Experience and Representation
Valadao brings congressional experience and a record of work on agricultural and water policy. Villegas’ background is in education and local government. As a school board trustee, he supports FFA and 4-H programs and says farmworkers and their families deserve a stronger voice in federal policy.
“In our community, we produce one fourth of the nation’s food yet too often are left behind by politicians and the policies coming out of Washington,” Villegas says, pointing to rising costs, water uncertainty and labor challenges facing families across the district.
Villegas says lawmakers from both parties can find common ground on water infrastructure, immigration reform and passing a bipartisan Farm Bill. He points to his experience working across party lines on the school board.
“Agriculture has a long bipartisan history in this country,” he says. “And there are specific areas where Democrats and Republicans can find common ground to deliver for farmers — areas like water infrastructure, immigration reform, and finally passing a bipartisan Farm Bill.”
The Nov. 3 election will determine who represents California’s 22nd Congressional District, where water, labor and farm economics remain central concerns.
