The counties covered by McCarthy’s 20th Congressional District have recently become familiar with this process after Nunes departed at the end of 2021. Connie Conway was elected in June 2022 to fill out the remaining six months of Nunes’ term and served as a caretaker uninterested in re-election.
Here are some of the potential candidates who could mount a campaign to replace McCarthy and why they may or may not choose to join the fray:
Devin Nunes: longtime GOP member of Congress and staunch supporter of the former president who left his seat in late 2020 to take over as chief executive of Truth Social, Trump’s social-media venture
Why it could happen: Nunes has a mile-long list of political bonafides, including national name recognition, an $11 million campaign war chest, and a bridge to the powerful MAGA wing of the Republican Party. He previously represented many Fresno-area voters who now comprise a sizable chunk of McCarthy’s district. He hasn’t disappeared from the local political scene and frequently is a guest on local conservative talk radio. Election to a GOP stronghold district could be a more secure job than Truth Social’s shaky prospects.
Why it might not: If elected, Nunes, who over nearly two decades in Congress had risen up the House ranks to lead the influential Intelligence Committee, would start over as a backbencher. Many speculate the chamber’s current thin GOP majority will be wiped out after the 2024 election, making for a miserable life as a Republican first-termer. He’s also branched out into various unrelated interests after joining Truth Social. He recently started his own winery with vintage wines such as Patriot Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vince Fong: Republican assemblymember who represents Bakersfield
Why it could happen: At 44, Fong could serve for decades and move into a leadership position. The Princeton graduate has long been a favorite of McCarthy’s and served as his district director before his election to the state Assembly in 2016. He was also a former staffer for Republican Rep. Bill Thomas and has helped lead the failed Republican efforts to suspend California’s gas tax. A lifetime NRA member, he’s pushed back against the state’s Democratic majority on gun control.
Why it might not: Fong is largely unknown in the wealthy Fresno suburbs that are an important part of McCarthy’s district and has no local government experience.
Shannon Grove: Republican state senator who currently represents a district that overlaps with much of McCarthy’s congressional seat
Why it could happen: Grove, a strong supporter of Trump, has built a well-known and popular political brand in Bakersfield, which makes up the bulk of her state Senate district. She won a high-profile victory over state Democrats in the Legislature to reclassify human trafficking of a minor as a felony, a bill that Newsom signed. Redistricting brought her north to the wealthy and more conservative areas of Fresno and Clovis.
Why it might not: Grove still is a relative unknown to a chunk of McCarthy’s district. She’d have to fundraise at a level she hasn’t achieved in the past. Her MAGA ties could turn off more middle-of-the-road voters in the Fresno suburbs.
David Valadao: Republican who currently represents the 22nd Congressional District
Why it could happen: The Republican from Hanford long has been held up as a political miracle — a Republican who gets elected in Democratic-majority districts. It’s a streak he kept alive for multiple terms until his defeat in the 2018 blue wave, only to regain his seat in 2020. He’s now staring down a rematch with Rudy Salas, his Democratic rival, in a year with Trump on the ballot.
Hopscotching one district over could make political life much easier. It wouldn’t be the first time a member of Congress moved districts for greener political pastures. Democrat Josh Harder declined to run for re-election in his Modesto-centered district in 2022, opting instead to run in a safer Democratic district centered in Stockton.
Why it might not: Valadao would be viewed as a political carpetbagger. Moving over to McCarthy’s district would leave his current one wide open for Salas and the Democrats. Additionally, his vote to impeach Trump in early 2021 turned off the powerful MAGA bloc.
Nathan Magsig: Fresno County supervisor
Why it could happen: Magsig, also a former Clovis mayor and councilmember, mounted a primary challenge in 2022 against incumbent Rep. Tom McClintock in the newly-drawn 5th Congressional District. He has a history of taking on conservative causes and made waves when he led a majority of Fresno supervisors to sue the state over the renaming of the unincorporated community previously known as Squaw Valley — now called Yokuts Valley.
Why it might not: Magsig’s 2022 McClintock challenge went poorly and angered many Republicans. He has no name recognition in Bakersfield. He opted out of a logical next step to replace termed-out Assemblymember Jim Patterson, a Fresno Republican, and seems content to stay closer to home. There are no term limits for Fresno County supervisors.
Connie Conway: Member of Congress and former state assemblymember
Why it could happen: Conway won a special election in 2022 to fill out the remainder of Nunes’ term. Her long history in the state Legislature gives her all-important name recognition.
Why it might not: The former Assembly minority leader has shown little interest in making Congress her permanent home.
