Fresno County Registrar of Voters – (559) 600-8683
Polling location look up – http://www2.co.fresno.ca.us/2850/post/root1106/pollplac.htm
Vote-by-mail status  – http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/DepartmentPage.aspx?id=16421

Kern County Registrar of Voters – (661) 868-3590
Polling location look-up – http://elections.co.kern.ca.us/Elections/Voterinfo/Address.asp
Vote-by-mail status – https://elections.co.kern.ca.us/Elections/VoteByMail/votebymailstatus.asp

Kings County Registrar of Voters – (559) 582-3211 x4401
Polling locations look-up – http://www.countyofkings.com/PollingPlaceLookup/
Vote-by-mail status – http://www.countyofkings.com/votebymailvoterlookup/

Tulare County Registrar of Voters – (559) 624-7300
Polling locations look-up – http://www.tularecoelections.org/November%206,%202012/root1106/pollplac.htm

If you have additional questions, please call our campaign office at (559) 639-7262.

“I believe government is best when it is closest to the people. By protecting local control and authority, voters can keep their leaders accountable,” said Valadao, “Unfunded mandates from Washington DC need to stop, they are crushing our cities and counties ability to attract jobs to their community.”

Valadao proudly announced the endorsement of numerous local elected leaders from the Central Valley.

“David Valadao is one of us, he understands this community. He is a man of integrity and always follows through with his promises. His family and friends have deep roots in the Central Valley, he is well equipped to represent our interests in Washington DC.”
- Councilwoman Liz Morris, Delano

“David Valadao will fight to keep our taxpayer dollars local and provide flexibility for cities and counties to attract businesses that can create the jobs we so desperately need.”
 - Mayor Manuel Cantu, Jr., McFarland

Below is a partial list of other local elected leaders have endorsed David Valadao for US Congress:

Fresno County Supervisor Judy Case
Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson
Fresno County Supervisor Debbie Poochigian
Kern County Supervisor Mike Maggard
Former Kern County Supervisor Pete Parra
Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner
Kern County Supervisor Ray Watson
Kings County Supervisor Tony Barba
Kings County Supervisor Richard Fagundes
Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon
Tulare County Supervisor Mike Ennis
Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel
Avenal Councilmember Harlin Casida
Avenal Councilmember Donna Curty
Avenal Councilmember Dagoberto Ovalle
Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall
Bakersfield Councilmember David Couch
Bakersfield Councilmember Harold Hanson
Bakersfield Councilmember Russell Johnson
Bakersfield Councilmember Jacquie Sullivan
Bakersfield Councilmember Ken Weir
Coalinga Councilmember William Bourdeau
Coalinga Councilmember Ron Lander
Delano Councilmember Liz Morris
Firebaugh Councilmember Jim Lowe
Fowler Councilmember Rick Darling
Fresno Councilmember Andreas Borgeas
Fresno Councilmember Lee Brand
Fresno Councilmember Clint Olivier
Fresno Councilmember Larry Westerlund
Hanford Councilmember Jim Irwin
Hanford Councilmember Joleen Jameson
Hanford Councilmember Lou Martinez
Hanford Councilmember Sue Sorensen
Kerman Mayor Gary Yep
Kingsburg Mayor Bruce Blayney
Kingsburg Councilmember David Karstetter
Kingsburg Councilmember Chet Reilly
Kingsburg Councilmember Michelle Roman
Lemoore Councilmember John Gordon
Lemoore Councilmember John Murray
Lemoore Councilmember Willard Rodarmel
Lemoore Councilmember Billy Siegel
McFarland Mayor Manuel Cantu, Jr.
Sanger Mayor Joshua Mitchell
Wasco Councilmember Fred West

David Valadao is married with three young children. He was born and raised and lived his entire life in the 21st Congressional District. A farmer and small businessman, he manages two family dairies in addition to growing alfalfa, corn and wheat. He is running to represent the newly drawn 21st Congressional district, which includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties.

10/22/12 – Earlier today, David Valadao proudly announced the endorsement of numerous public safety leaders and groups from the Central Valley.

David Valadao is a strong supporter of public safety. During his time in the California Assembly, he opposed Governor Brown’s “Realignment” legislation that has placed thousands of hardened criminals in our local jails and forced dangerous criminals onto the streets because of overcrowding.

“I have worked closely with David Valadao during his time in the California Assembly, he is committed to keeping families in the Central Valley safe. I am proud to endorse him for US Congress.”
- Sheriff David Robinson, Kings County

“David Valadao has a history of solving problems and working across the aisle. He understands the importance of public safety and will ensure we have the tools to keep criminals off our streets.”
- Sheriff Margaret Mims, Fresno County

Below is a partial list of public safety leaders and groups who have endorsed David Valadao for US Congress:

- Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims
- Kings County Sheriff David Robinson
- Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood
- Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman
- Fresno County Deputy Sheriff’s Association
- Kern County Law Enforcement Association
- Kern County Prosecutor’s Association
- Peace Officers’ Reasearch Association of California
- Crime Victims United

David Valadao is married with three young children. He has lived his entire life in the 21st Congressional District. A farmer and small businessman, he manages two family dairies in addition to growing alfalfa, corn and wheat. He is running to represent the newly drawn 21st Congressional district, which includes Kings County and portions of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties.

Republican David Valadao and Democrat John Hernandez are competing to represent the 21st Congressional District in the Nov. 6 election. Valadao is the better choice.

The men could not be more different in demeanor, but it’s experience that matters here. Valadao, a Hanford dairyman, has lived the issues he now confronts regularly as a state lawmaker, from water to agricultural economics to transportation infrastructure. Valadao has served in the California Assembly since 2010 — not much political experience but more than Hernandez, who has a background in insurance and finance and has been CEO of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2006. The constituents of the 21st District deserve a representative who has been tested politically a little more than that.

Valadao has a record of working across the aisle, most recently on legislation that bans state funding for corn ethanol, a practice that had resulted in escalating corn prices for food and animal feed. Valadao knows the issues impacting the district since he represents most of it already in the Assembly.

Valadao opposes the new health care law and high-speed rail, two high-profile issues supported both by Rep. Jim Costa, who previously represented the district, and this newspaper. But Valadao has a solid understanding of the issues that are equally important to the rural congressional district and the Central Valley as a whole.

Hernandez has plenty of passion, but Valadao is the best pick to represent the 21st Congressional District.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/our-view/x1526555188/David-Valadao-for-21st-District-in-Congress

A farmer and legislator familiar with the impact of government on agriculture, David Valadao, has earned the endorsement of the California Farm Bureau Federation for election to Congress. Valadao, R-Hanford, seeks election in the newly drawn 21st Congressional District, representing Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern and Tulare counties.

With experience as a state Assembly member and managing partner at his family’s dairies, Valadao knows both how laws are made and how rules and regulations affect family farmers and ranchers, California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger said.

“We need more members of Congress like David Valadao, who know what it’s like to work hard to make a farm succeed, and what it takes to help other hardworking families succeed as well,” Wenger said.

A lifelong resident of the Central Valley, Valadao was elected to the California Assembly in 2010 to represent one of the most important agricultural regions in the nation. He has also achieved leadership positions in the private sector, on the California Milk Advisory Board, Western States Dairy Trade Association and as Regional Leadership Council chairman for the Land O’ Lakes dairy cooperative.

“With his roots on the farm and his leadership abilities, David Valadao will continue to seek positive change in the Central Valley and the nation,” Wenger said. “Too often, government churns out confusing, conflicting rules and regulations that prove to be obstacles to economic growth. In Congress, David Valadao will work to assure that government helps farms and other businesses create jobs and revive our economy.”

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 74,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.

http://www.cfbf.com/news/showPR.cfm?PRID=423&rec=FAA9AFEA49EF2FF029A833CCCC778FD0

(Source: California Farm Bureau Federation website)

We have been impressed with Assemblyman David Valadao’s work in the California Legislature, and believe he is prepared to represent our region in Congress. We recommend that voters in the 21st Congressional District support Valadao in the Nov. 6 election.

Valadao, a Hanford Republican, is a conservative who can work across party lines to represent the interests of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as the nation. Valadao is a good fit for the 21st District, which is mostly rural and agricultural.

He is the son of immigrants who came to the Valley in search of the American dream. The Valadao family emigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal in 1969, and Valadao’s father started a small dairy farm in Kings County in 1973. His family’s experience gives Valadao, who was born in 1977, an understanding of the challenges facing new Americans.

Valadao became part of the dairy business, and knows the growing economic problems of that segment of agriculture. He also farms other crops in Kings and Tulare counties, which gives him an understanding of the challenges facing all of agriculture.

David has served in leadership positions for the California Milk Advisory Board and Western States Dairy Trade Association. His campaign reported that he also was elected as Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes Inc., a major producer-owned cooperative.

Valadao says it is important to create an environment where small businesses can succeed. One of his priorities would be to work in Congress to secure a clean, reliable water supply for the Valley.

Because his 30th Assembly District is within the 21st Congressional District, he is already representing much of the population of the newly drawn congressional district.

In the June primary, Valadao carried the majority of the vote in the 21st District. He polled 57% of the vote to 22.1% for Democrat John Hernandez and 20.9 % for Democrat Blong Xiong. The top two vote-getters moved on to the general election, with Hernandez being his opponent on Nov. 6.

Voters in the 21st Congressional District should back David Valadao on Nov. 6.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/10/08/3021868/editorial-valadao-for-congress.html#storylink=cpy

John Hernandez was frenetic and passionate, Assemblyman David Valadao calm and reasoned, as the two congressional candidates met with The Californian’s editorial board Thursday afternoon.

The two are candidates for the open 21st Congressional District seat that represents Fresno, Kings, Tulare and rural areas of central and northwestern Kern County.

Hernandez, a Fresno Democrat, called his first three campaign priorities “Jobs, jobs, jobs” and punctuated many of his points by thumping his fist on the table.

“Send someone to Washington who is going to be a fighter,” he said.

Valadao, R-Hanford, said the fight for jobs is more complex than a simple chant.

He pointed to a bill he championed unsuccessfully that would have allowed the state to count large dam-based hydro-electric projects in calculating whether California has met its green-energy goals.

You can’t just call for job creation, Valadao said, “If we don’t look at our regulatory scheme and energy costs.”

Hernandez repeatedly called for the diversification of the district’s economy and support for small business development, something he champions as CEO of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ve been in the business of working with small businesses for 20 years,” he said.

He said his group has been working to get small businesses connected with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which he believes will help bring economic diversity to the region.

“No matter what you do, the rail is coming. We’ve got to get in front of this thing,” he said.

Valadao, responding to a question about the role of government in people’s lives, said “I support infrastructure that benefits everyone, dams that provides clear water and energy,” freeways and freight rail.

“I don’t want government telling who I need to be,” he said.

Hernandez criticized Valadao for championing a law that stopped driver’s license and vehicle registration taxes from being used to subsidize corn production for ethanol, while taking farm subsidies as a dairy rancher in Hanford.

“I support a plan to get them out of dairy,” Valadao countered, but subsidies and food prices are delicately intertwined and there must be reforms in the current system before the system can be moved to a more market-based plan.

Valadao said the district needs people to buy homes here, a ding on Hernandez who lives outside the district.

“I follow the Constitution. It doesn’t require that,” Hernandez said, talking over Valadao.

Both men finished up by calling for cooperation in government to find real solutions.

“We used to work together. That’s the kind of congressman I want to be,” Hernandez said.

Valadao talked about the bills he has gotten passed by the Democratic legislature and governor — including the ethanol subsidy law that prevents “your dinner plate from competing with your fuel tank.”

“I’ve worked really hard in a bipartisan way in Sacramento,” he said.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/politics/local/x1184066491/Congressional-hopefuls-take-very-different-tones-with-newspaper

The nation is clearly divided this election year between the two mainstream political parties. Consequently, few political figures are willing to set aside the debates that surround partisan politics and carefully evaluate the needs of the constituents that they have been elected to serve. Election campaigns call for bipartisanship and candidates promise that they will serve as “moderates” within their political party, if they are elected. Unfortunately, history reveals that a limited number will truly govern in this manner, unless they are using the “bipartisan card” to gain support for their personal agenda and political soapbox. This is the mentality that has scarred the face of the existing political system. As George Washington warned, it is this divisiveness that “serves always to distract the public councils. … It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another. … It opens the door to … corruption.”

However, there are those few who have faithfully fulfilled their promise to fight for the needs of the people over party politics, and it is this faithful minority who should be commended for their desire to cross party lines, embrace reasonable policies and write legislation that meets a common need.

I was reminded of this political anomaly, and these faithful few, while reading about the recent passing of AB 523, which will eliminate all future funding for corn-based ethanol. This California Assembly bill was signed into law with bipartisan support after being initiated by Assemblyman David Valadao. This should come as no surprise, as Valadao has consistently supported the will of the people since his election, and he has also stood firmly against any legislation that will harm the Central Valley.

One great example: His efforts throughout his district to hold public forums to help inform citizens about the enormity of damage California high-speed rail will cause throughout both Kings and Kern counties. Now, his work on AB 523 will again help those who live within the boundary of the 30th Assembly District, and it will also help every citizen in California. As noted in the language of the bill, Valadao authored this legislation because he had a desire to “bridge the budget deficit” and because subsidies for corn-based ethanol were “negatively impacting the food supply and price.” He also noted that there are “little if any positive environmental benefits” derived from corn-based ethanol. Nevertheless, more than 40 percent of corn in the United States is being wasted to produce this commodity.

The bill, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in late August, prevents corn ethanol projects within the state from being eligible for funding under California’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. AB 523, which becomes effective in July 2013, redirects state funding away from corn ethanol and toward other forms of renewable energy, including ethanol not derived from corn.

Valadao’s willingness to take a stand on this issue has brought together not only political leaders, but also fiscal conservatives, political activists, environmental groups and agricultural associations. Such support is evidenced by numerous letters from myriad organizations, including the Sierra Club, the California Cattlemen’s Association, and the Pacific Egg and Poultry Association.

Some believe that bipartisanship is dead, given the current political situation, but there are still those few elected leaders who are willing to put partisan issues aside. This mentality, when coupled with a strong desire to wholeheartedly represent the view of constituents, is what separates a political representative from a self-serving politician. Therefore, the passing of AB 523 should set an example for other elected officials. Assembly members and state senators alike must learn to work together for the common good of the communities they have taken an oath to serve, or this great state will fail to prosper and maintain its rightful place as the Golden State. The citizens who have voted to elect these leader must remember the words of John Dickinson, later quoted by Patrick Henry: “Join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”

Michael Kennedy of Bakersfield is the principal of Bethel Christian School. Community Voices is an expanded commentary of 650 to 700 words.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/hot-topics/x1903885834/MICHAEL-KENNEDY-Valadaos-corn-ethanol-reboot-a-big-victory-for-bipartisanship

LEMOORE — The Kings County Farm Bureau is hosting a fundraiser Thursday to support Republican Assemblyman David Valadao’s congressional bid.
The event will take place at the home of Jim and Raquel Crisp at 22766 Geneva Ave. Tickets are $200 per person and $300 per couple. Other levels include supporter ($1,000) and event sponsor ($2,500).
For more information, contact Terra Brusseau at 281-9088 or tbrusseau@valadaoforcongress.com.

http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/political-notebook-fundraisers-forums-endorsements/article_cdc536ee-0d83-11e2-99bd-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true

One thing is guaranteed in this race: a new representative. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, now is running in the new 16th Congressional District created after electoral boundaries were redrawn.

The contenders are Assembly Member David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford who represents the 30th District, and Fresnan John Hernandez. He is chief executive of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Both men agreed that creating jobs is the most pressing need in the region, with water running a close second. But they disagreed on issues, such as high speed rail.

Valadao, a dairyman first elected to the state Assembly in 2010, said he’s been one of the project’s “most vocal” opponents. His view is informed by his position on a budget subcommittee and the major cuts that have to be made in services and programs. Meanwhile, work is scheduled to begin in 2013 on the first leg of the high speed rail project, from Merced to Fresno. “We’re looking at a lot of huge cuts in this state,” Valadao said. “To spend $308 million per year just to service the debt on this first portion [of high speed rail] is a disaster.”

Hernandez said the project is going to happen, so the Central Valley must take advantage of it and that plenty of “good paying middle class jobs” will be created: “Being the first place on the North American continent to have this state-of-the-art system puts Fresno and this Valley in the driver’s seat.”

Water — its availability and quality — is a prime issue in the Central Valley.

Hernandez said the current system isn’t adequate for the more than 37 million living in California, which is projected to have nearly 60 million by 2050. He said he’s not only concerned about water storage and clean drinking water but about the San Joaquin Delta. He supports Gov. Brown’s plan to build two 35-mile long tunnels that will take water from the Sacramento River, move it under the delta and ship it to the Valley and to Southern California.

Valadao said there are numerous issues involving water that impact agriculture. And, he talked about how water issues affect a community like Kettleman City. For decades, most Kettleman City residents have bought drinking water because well water is tainted by arsenic. The state this summer announced it would commit funds to build a water-treatment plant. Valadao said that government also must be diligent about costs and look at ways to save money while helping communities with these types of projects.

Toward the end of the discussion, Hernandez drew an ample amount of boos for saying the difference between himself and Valadao was that “I actually am in the free enterprise system. I’m not into the milk subsidy that Mr. Valadao is in.”

Valadao said he would be happy to talk to anyone about dairy policy. He said he is focused on making government effective and that his aim is “to have an honest, bipartisan conversation.” He also said, as a member of the minority party in Sacramento, he’s been able to get legislation signed by Gov. Brown, a Democrat, “and actually make a difference for my constituents.”

http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/selma_enterprise/news/forum-for-school-board-assembly-congressional-candidates/article_1a9a3b82-0cd9-11e2-a4f7-001a4bcf887a.html