Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, says the United States needs to compete with China in trade and artificial intelligence technology.

“You want that to be a Western, American-led technology. You don’t want the PRC (People’s Republic of China) to be the one that dominates the information that gets shared around the world,” Fong told the Rotary Club of Fresno on Monday.

He said a lesson from the pandemic was that America was too reliant on China for trade, technology, and supply chains.

Related Story: Where Do Valley Congressmembers Stand on Arrest of Venezuela’s Maduro?

Fong also advocated for increased domestic energy production.

He said importing refined gasoline from India would support Russia’s war in Ukraine, since Russia supplies India with oil.

“The only way we’re going to make ourselves less dependent on foreign countries is to produce it ourselves,” Fong said.

Fong also commented on former California labor secretary and acting U.S. labor secretary Julie Su taking a position with the administration of new New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She will serve as deputy mayor for economic justice.

Su received heavy criticism during her time in California over unemployment benefit fraud.

“Talk about failing forward,” Fong said.

Fong spent much of his speech talking about Venezuela, covered here.

Is Esparza Changing 2026 Run Again?

Could Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza be changing which office he is running for — again?

Esparza is termed out of City Hall and opened a campaign account to run for the state Board of Equalization in 2022. He terminated that account in 2023.

Now, that Board of Equalization account is open again.

In the interim, Esparza announced he was running for state Senate, then for the State Center Community College District board.

Esparza had no comment on what his plans for 2026 are. The Board of Equalization position is on the June primary ballot. The SCCCD trustee race appears only on the November ballot.

Related Story: Point-Counterpoint: Reps. Costa and Fong React to Trump’s Speech

Gonzalez Announces Run Against Hurtado

Guillermo Gonzalez, a field representative for Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, hopes to follow his boss into elected office.

Gonzalez, a Bakersfield Republican, announced Monday that he is running for state Senate District 16, currently represented by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield.

The district includes parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties.

Hurtado won a nailbiter in the 2022 election, officially by 22 votes over David Shepard. A recount reduced the margin to 13 votes.

In a news release, Gonzalez said the seat is trending Republican, although Democrats hold an eight-point registration advantage as of Oct. 20, 2025. Voters in the district backed Donald Trump by 9% in 2024, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey by 9%, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle by 10% in 2022.

Gonzalez described a reverse immigration story — he was born in Bakersfield, moved with his family to Mexico as a child, and returned to Bakersfield in high school. He helped run his family’s restaurant before moving into public service.

“The Central Valley gave my family hope, opportunity, and the chance to build a better future. That’s what the American Dream is supposed to be, but now that promise is in danger. I’m running for state Senate to serve the community, protect our values and way of life, give back to the Valley that gave me everything, and make sure its best days are still ahead,” Gonzalez said.

He has the endorsements of Valadao and Fong.

Hurtado would be running for a third term after being first elected in 2018. She reported $136,748 in cash on hand as of June 30, 2025. Gonzalez has not established a fundraising committee.

Bigelow Returning to Politics

Former state Assemblymember Frank Bigelow, an O’Neals Republican, announced he is returning to politics.

Bigelow plans to run for Madera County supervisor for District 5, he said Monday.

Incumbent Bobby Macaulay is not running for re-election. He said he has no future plans other than serving his constituents until the end of his term.

“After a lifetime in this community, I’m stepping forward again because the stakes for rural California have never been higher,” Bigelow said in a news release. “I’m committed to protecting the values and way of life that make our communities strong.”

Bigelow served five terms in the Assembly from 2012 to 2022 and, before that, on the board of supervisors from 1998 to 2012.

He opted not to run in 2022 after his district was merged with that of then fellow incumbent Jim Patterson, R-Fresno.

Other candidates who pulled papers to run include Yosemite Unified School Board President Brook Allen, real estate firm owner Melanie Ann Barker, and businessman and former candidate Mark Reed, who finished second in 2022.

Trump’s Take on Jan. 6

The White House is using the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to tout the roughly 1,600 pardons Donald Trump issued on his first day in office last year.

“They were not protected by the leaders who failed them. They were punished to cover incompetence,” the White House writes, describing the Capitol rioters as peaceful patriots victimized by law enforcement and Democrats.

One of those pardoned was Madera resident Benjamin Martin, who was convicted and spent time in federal prison before his release following the pardon.

The White House webpage includes a Jan. 6 timeline and casts blame on Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco. The administration also blames Capitol Police for “aggressively” firing tear gas and escalating tensions.

In addition, the webpage criticizes the police officer who “murdered” protester Ashli Babbitt and accuses then Vice President Mike Pence of “cowardice and sabotage.”

Finally, the page alleges that Democrats “staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election.”