BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - TJ Cox, the Democratic challenger in the 21st Congressional District race, declared victory Wednesday afternoon, after updated results showed he expanded his lead against Republican Congressman David Valadao.
As of 12 p.m., results showed Cox was leading by 506 votes with 50.2% of the vote. Valadao had 49.8% of the votes.
112,346 votes had been counted so far, with the latest update coming from Kings County.
"While there are outstanding ballots in Fresno and Kern counties, these votes have heavily favored Mr. Cox in the updates since Election Day," said Cox in a press release.
Mr. Cox released the following statement:
“I am elated to announce that we have won the election for California’s 21st Congressional District. I want to thank my wife Kathy and our entire family for their love and support throughout this campaign. I could not have done this without them. I also want to thank the staff, volunteers and supporters who worked tirelessly to make this win a reality. Even when the outlook may have seemed dim, they never gave up. This campaign was fueled by their energy and passion to make a positive difference in lives of the hard-working people here in the Central Valley. And I would like to thank Congressman David Valadao and his family for their six years of service to our country and the communities of the 21st District. Voters across the district resonated with our message of expanding health care, creating good jobs, and fighting for our families' futures. I am truly humbled to have received so much support. I am honored to be the next Representative serving all of our communities throughout the 21st District. Now that the election is over, it’s time to get to work.”
TJ Cox, Democratic candidate
Fresno is also expected to provide a voter update Wednesday.
