Central Valley Daily

Feb. 18: Democrats At A Crossroads. Who Can Unseat Rep. Valadao?

By Elizabeth Arakelian,

Published February 18, 2026 at 4:45 AM PST

Ways To Subscribe

Several Democratic candidates are vying to replace Republican Rep. David Valadao in the newly redrawn congressional district 22. On today’s episode, Maya C. Miller with our news partner CalMatters breaks down the strategy of two first-time congressional candidates hoping to turn the district blue.

Plus, the latest news headlines: a second group attempts to reboot a transportation tax in Fresno County, and a Catholic Bishop holds mass at Kern County ICE facility.

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.

See stories by Elizabeth Arakelian

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