Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux suspends Congressional campaign; endorses Vince Fong

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux has announced that he will suspend his campaign for California’s 20th Congressional District and is endorsing Congressman Vince Fong for the seat in the Nov. 5 general election.

Boudreaux made the announcement on Monday, July 1, nearly four months after he emerged as one of the top-two finishers in the March 5 primary and March 19 special primary elections in the 20th Congressional District.

Fong won the May 21 special election run-off to serve in the seat through the remainder of 2024.

“I’ve known Congressman Fong and worked closely with him and his team for more than a decade,” Boudreaux said. “While we were on opposite sides of this campaign, at the end of the day, we’re Republicans, we’re family men, and fighters who are committed to protecting individual liberty, reducing the cost of living, and maintaining safe communities for our neighbors.

Boudreaux entered the race for the open Congressional seat in December amid legal uncertainty over Fong’s eligibility in the race. The seat had been vacant since Kevin McCarthy stepped down in December after being ousted as Speaker of the House.

“I thank Sheriff Boudreaux for his leadership in Tulare County and for the hard-fought campaign he ran for this seat," Fong stated in a press release following Monday's announcement. "I intend to continue reaching out to voters and will embrace the opportunity the November election provides to discuss the key issues facing our district and present real solutions to improve our safety, economy, and quality of life.”

In his announcement, Boudreaux stated that he will be committing the remainder of 2024 to “supporting common sense, public safety-focused candidates across the San Joaquin Valley and California” by launching a new grassroots organization, Golden State Justice.

Few details about the organization have been released.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux suspends Congressional campaign