By Doug Keeler
Midway Driller Editor
[email protected]
@midwaydriller
Immigration, endorsements, water for agriculture illegal drugs and aid to Israel and Ukraine were discussed by four candidates running to replace Kevin McCarthy in the state’s 20th congressional district Thursday evening.
Republicans Mike Boudreaux and Vince Fong and Democrats Mike Morales and Marisa Wood aired their differences in a one-hour debate hosted by Nexstar Media Group’s KGET and KGPE and held at the KGET television studio in Bakersfield.
Fong, currently a state assemblyman who once served as McCarthy’s district director, is leading in the polls and the race turned contentious recently when two-long time Fong allies, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood and State Senator Shannon Grove, endorsed Boudreaux, currently the Sheriff of Tulare County.
Several days later, former President Donald Trump endorsed Fong.
Fong was asked if McCarthy helped get the endorsement from Trump.
“I hope so,” Fong replied.
Boudreaux said he never asked for an endorsement from Trump but would like to have it.
He said McCarthy pulled a “political favor” to get Trump’s endorsement for Fong and said the Youngblood and Grove endorsements came from “friends of Fong.”
The U.S. Mexico border and immigration and a bill in Congress involving that issue as well as aid to Israel and Ukraine was a major topic and the approaches from the two Republicans and two Democrats differed sharply.
Morales and Wood both called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, where Israel and Hamas are battling after Hamas attacked Israel in October .
“What do you call a country bombing schools, bombing mosques? You call it genocide,” Morales said.
Fong and Boudreaux both supported Israel and Fong called U.S. calls for a cease-fire “micromanaging.”
Moreles said he didn’t support aid for Israel or Ukraine.
“We need to focus on ourselves,” Morales said.
Boudreaux said he supported aid for Israel but not Ukraine.
All four candidates said this U.S. Border should be a major priority.
“The crisis at the boarder does demand our immediate attention,” she said.
Fong said the border is the most important issue to most Americans.
“We have to secure our borders first,” Fong said.
He other candidates agreed with that but had different approaches to the board, the illegal immigrants crossing it and the illegal drugs being smuggled across.
Wood supports immigration for people who are coming to “build a better life” and Morales said this nation was built on immigration.
Both Fong and Boudreaux called for more water at less cost for farmers and Boudreaux said it was “a national security issue.”
