Central Valley Daily

Feb. 4: He Voted For Medicaid Cuts. Can Rep. Valadao Save His Congressional Seat?

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published February 4, 2026 at 4:45 AM PST

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Congressman David Valadao is up for re-election in November, and several Democrats are hoping to unseat him. On today’s show, Maya C. Miller with our news partner CalMatters breaks down how Valadao’s vote to cut Medicaid could impact his political future.

Plus, the latest news headlines: An illegal biolab busted in Las Vegas echoes one found in Reedley; state officials celebrate a high-speed rail construction milestone in Kern County.

Central Valley Daily

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden