Several candidates running for the full-term Congressional seat last held by former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy are also running to finish his term.

McCarthy, who already opted not to run for re-election, resigned Dec. 31, 2023. The move created not only a Congressional District 20 election with no incumbent but requires a special election to fill the remainder of the term as well.

The deadline to file for the March 19 special election expired Thursday, with 13 candidates pulling papers to run.

If a candidate wins a majority of votes, the winner will be shortly sworn into Congress. The term expires Jan. 3, 2025.

If there is no majority winner, the top-two vote earners advance to a May 21 special election.

For the March 5 regularly scheduled primary, the top-two vote earners — regardless of party affiliation or status in the special election — advance to the Nov. 5 general election. The full-term starts Jan. 3, 2025.

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

Who is Running?

The following list of candidates pulled papers to run. The California Secretary of State will certify the official list of candidates next Wednesday, Jan. 31.

• Kyle Kirkland, R-Clovis; owner of Club One Casino*
• Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield; state Assemblyman*
• Mike Boudreaux, R-Springville; Tulare County Sheriff*
• Kelly Kulikoff, R-California City; California City Mayor*
• Marisa Wood, D-Bakersfield; educator*
• Benjamin Dewell, NPP-Tehachapi; Eastern Kern APCD variance board member*
• Harmesh Kumar, D-Concord; doctor
• Anna Cohen, R-Bakersfield
• Cameron Lorimer, R-Bakersfield
• Ronald Reppenhagen, R-Palmdale; security company manager
• David Fluhart, NPP-Caliente; farmer
• James Cardoza, NPP-Fresno; real estate photographer
• L Parsons James, unknown

* Also running in the March 5 election for the full-term seat.

It is likely that not all candidates will make the final cut. Cameron Lorimer, a Bakersfield Republican, pulled papers but said he never returned them. Reppenhagen missed the deadline because he thought it was Friday.

Kumar is also running for U.S. Senate on March 5. Fluhart ran unsuccessfully for Kern County Supervisor in 2020.

Fong, considered one of several frontrunners along with Boudreaux and Kirkland, is also running for the full-term seat. Secretary of State Shirley Weber is challenging the legitimacy of his candidacy, asking a state appellate court not to certify him if he wins.

Weber, in a court filing, said Fong running for both Congress and the state Assembly on March 5 violates election law. A lower court ruling allows Fong to run for both.

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