Rudy Salas | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2015 | |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the32nd district | |
| In office December 3, 2012 – December 5, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Shannon Grove (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Vince Fong (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rodolfo Salas (1977-03-12)March 12, 1977 (age 48) Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Rodolfo "Rudy" Salas[1] (born March 12, 1977) is an American politician who served in theCalifornia State Assembly from 2012 to 2022. A member of theDemocratic Party, he represented the32nd Assembly district, which encompassesKings County and parts of northwesternKern County. Prior to being elected to the Assembly, he was on theBakersfield City Council.
Salas left his seat in the Assembly to run as the Democratic nominee forCalifornia's 22nd congressional district in2022, losing to incumbent RepublicanDavid Valadao.[2][3] Salas ran again in 2024 for the 22nd congressional district, losing once again to Valadao.[4]
Salas was born and raised in southeasternBakersfield, California.[5] He worked for his family's construction business.[5] He went toSouth High School in Bakersfield.[5]
After graduating from high school, Salas attended theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.[6] He earned abachelor of arts degree in history and political science in 2000.[7] He then worked at theWhite House under Vice PresidentAl Gore for a year.[5]
Following his time inWashington D.C., Salas returned toCalifornia and worked as a counselor for theUpward Bound Program atCalifornia State University, Bakersfield.[7] He later switched to government, and served as district director for State SenatorDean Florez from 2004 to 2010.[8]
Salas made history in 2010 by becoming the first Latino elected to theBakersfield City Council.[9] Two years later, he was elected to represent Bakersfield in theCalifornia State Assembly, leaving the City Council to serve inSacramento.[7]
When incumbent AssemblymanDavid Valadao announced that he would not run for reelection forCalifornia's 32nd State Assembly district, instead seeking a congressional bid, the seat was left vacant. In the June 5 primary, Salas ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination of the 32nd assembly district and won the overall primary with 41.4% of the vote, or 13,053 votes, ahead of the threeRepublican candidates. He faced off against the primary runner-up, Republican formerDelano Mayor Pedro Rios, in the November 6 general election. Salas came in first by a smaller margin than before, with 38,759 total votes (52.9%) to Rios's 34,476 (47.1%).[10] He was sworn in on December 3, 2012.
Salas ran for re-election in November 2014, again against formerDelanoMayor Pedro Rios, who defeatedDelano UnionSchool Board trustee Romeo Agbalog in the June 2014 Republican primary election.[11] He was described as a moderate Democrat, colloquially referred to as a "Valleycrat" by some.[11] He won the rematch in the November 4 general election with 54.8% to Rios's 45.2%.[11][12]
Salas ran for a third term in 2016. He faced minimal opposition in the primary, with Republican Manuel Ramirez running a write-in campaign that garnered 1% of the primary vote. In the general election, he won his largest victory yet with 65% to Ramirez's 35%.[13]
Salas ran for a fourth consecutive term in 2018. He was challenged by RepublicanHanford City Councilman Justin Mendes, a staffer for CongressmanDavid Valadao (whom Salas succeeded in the Assembly in 2012).[14]
Salas ran for reelection and faced Republican Todd Cotta, a Hanford gun store owner in the general election.[15]
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Salas left his seat in the State Assembly to run forCalifornia's 22nd congressional district in2022. He was defeated by incumbent RepublicanDavid Valadao in a close race.[16]
Salas announced he would run again for Congress in 2024.[17] He was defeated by incumbent RepublicanDavid Valadao in the 2024 general election by over 11,000 votes.[18]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 13,053 | 41.4 | |
| Republican | Pedro A. Rios | 7,550 | 23.9 | |
| Republican | Jon McQuiston | 6,530 | 20.7 | |
| Republican | David Thomas | 4,420 | 14.0 | |
| Total votes | 31,553 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 38,759 | 52.9 | |
| Republican | Pedro A. Rios | 34,476 | 47.1 | |
| Total votes | 73,235 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 11,577 | 43.9 | |
| Republican | Pedro A. Rios | 9,183 | 34.8 | |
| Republican | Romeo Agbalog | 5,628 | 21.3 | |
| Total votes | 26,388 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 26,721 | 54.8 | |
| Republican | Pedro A. Rios | 22,031 | 45.2 | |
| Total votes | 48,752 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 30,806 | 98.9 | |
| Republican | Manuel Ramirez (write-in) | 334 | 1.1 | |
| Total votes | 31,140 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 53,056 | 65.1 | |
| Republican | Manuel Ramirez | 28,502 | 34.9 | |
| Total votes | 81,558 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 16,690 | 50.4 | |
| Republican | Justin Mendes | 16,438 | 49.6 | |
| Total votes | 33,128 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 39,328 | 56.7 | |
| Republican | Justin Mendes | 30,089 | 43.3 | |
| Total votes | 69,417 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 27,679 | 58.1 | |
| Republican | Todd Cotta | 19,957 | 41.9 | |
| Total votes | 47,636 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Rudy Salas (incumbent) | 63,450 | 60.0 | |
| Republican | Todd Cotta | 42,328 | 40.0 | |
| Total votes | 105,778 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 25,337 | 45.2 | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 14,331 | 25.6 | |
| Republican | Chris Mathys | 13,111 | 23.4 | |
| Republican | Adam Medeiros | 3,250 | 5.8 | |
| Total votes | 56,029 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 52,994 | 51.5 | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 49,862 | 48.5 | |
| Total votes | 102,856 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 20,479 | 32.7 | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 19,592 | 31.3 | |
| Republican | Chris Mathys | 13,745 | 22.0 | |
| Democratic | Melissa Hurtado | 8,733 | 14.0 | |
| Total votes | 62,549 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | David Valadao (incumbent) | 89,484 | 53.4 | |
| Democratic | Rudy Salas | 78,023 | 46.6 | |
| Total votes | 167,507 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| California Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the32nd district 2012–2022 | Succeeded by |
