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Vince Fong advances in special election runoff to replace ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Californians voted to advance Republican State Assemblyman Vince Fong during Tuesday’s special election to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted last year.
Fong, a former McCarthy aide endorsed by both McCarthy and former President Trump, faced off with Republican Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux at the polls on Tuesday.
Because both candidates are Republicans, the GOP will hold 218 seats, compared to the Democrats’ 213, factoring in four vacancies. In California’s jungle primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
Fong, who also earned the most votes in March’s primary election, will serve out the rest of McCarthy’s term until he battles against Boudreaux again in November in the general election.
TRUMP ENDORSES EX-KEVIN MCCARTHY AIDE VINCE FONG TO FILL VACANT SEAT AS HIS FORMER AIDES BACK FONG’S OPPONENT
Assemblyman Vince Fong (right) advanced in California’s special runoff election on Tuesday, beating out Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux (left). (Carolyn Cole / ContributorMediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Contributor/ )
Fong and Boudreaux advanced to Tuesday’s runoff following a March special election where they emerged as the top two candidates, with neither getting more than 50% of the vote to trigger a victor. By November, voters in the district will have voted for either candidate a total of three times.
McCarthy resigned from the House in December, three months after he was voted out of the speakership.
The district, which cuts through the Central Valley farm belt, including parts of Bakersfield and Fresno, is the most strongly Republican House seat in heavily Democratic California. Trump largely carried CA-20 in 2020 and McCarthy represented the district from 2007 until his resignation in late 2023. In February, Trump called Fong “a true Republican.”
Among Boudreaux’s supporters are Ric Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence under Trump, and Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove, from Fong’s hometown of Bakersfield.
TULARE COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE BOUDREAUX ON THE CARTEL STYLE HIT THAT KILLED SIX PEOPLE
Despite winning the special election Tuesday, California Assemblyman Vince Fong will face Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux (above) again in November in the state’s general election. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Trump’s involvement in the race casts it as a litmus test for the former president’s political relevance as he presumably gears up for a potential rematch against President Biden in November.
“I am proud to join California’s Republican Congressional Delegation, and give Vince Fong my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Vince was one of only 6 Republicans in the State Assembly to stand with me, and reject the Second Impeachment Hoax. In Congress, Vince will work with me to Grow the Economy, Lower your Taxes, Cut Burdensome Regulations, Champion American Energy, and Protect and Defend the Second Amendment, which is under siege by the Radical Left.”
HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER IN HISTORIC FIRST
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in October and resigned from the House in December. (Getty Images)
In October, the House of Representatives voted to oust McCarthy, the first time in history the top leader of the lower chamber was booted from the job.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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“He’s like a Volkswagen! He’s so huge!” said Oluwaseyi Akinbobola, a visitor from Los Angeles who had an extra half hour so she ran down to the pier for a hopeful peek of the elusive sea lion. “I have heard everywhere about this big giant sea lion, and I like to look at things, so just thought I’d check it out.”
Chonkers likely came from up north off the coast of Washington or Oregon and is estimated to weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds (680 and 907 kilograms), said Laura Gill, public programs manager at The Marine Mammal Center in nearby Sausalito. Chonkers has been one of the few Steller sea lions to venture to the pier, which is protected from predators and crashing waves while providing a fish-filled buffet.
“There’s plenty of food in San Francisco Bay for them, so the fish, the rockfish, the anchovies, the herring, there’s a lot of easy prey for them,” she said.
@apnews A surprise guest at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is quite literally making waves. Meet Chonkers, the name given to a giant Steller sea lion spotted this week lounging among his considerably smaller California sea lion neighbors. Chonkers belongs to the Steller species, the largest of all sea lions, known for their commanding presence and dock-dominating energy. Adult males can weigh over a ton. #sealion #cuteanimals #sanfrancisco #seal #california #fishermanswharf #animals #ocean ♬ original sound – The Associated Press
At least 200 people crowded into the Denver City & County building on Friday morning after receiving a scam text about a traffic violation and court hearing.
Colorado is at least the ninth state to be hit by the scam that tries to get people to pay a fine through a QR code printed on an official-looking “final enforcement notice,” county court spokesperson Carolyn Tyler said.
Courts in Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, and Virginia reported similar scams, she said.
The fake document claims to be from the state of Colorado and the Denver County Traffic Division and is titled “Official Notice of Default and Enforcement Action.” The form instructs people to pay a fee by scanning a QR code on the form or show up for a court hearing — in this case, at 9 a.m. Friday in Denver.
“The court does not contact people this way,” Tyler said. “If you do get communications from the court, you should expect to see your name, your case number and specific identifying information.”
Court employees will never reach out by text to demand payment, county officials said.
Anyone who gets a suspicious text claiming they are in default for a traffic violation should report the information to local police and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office online at stopfraudcolorado.gov or the Denver District Attorney’s Office consumer fraud hotline at 720-913-9179.
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The Seattle Seahawks kicked off rookie minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Friday. While the rookie draft class and undrafted free agents are all slated to participate, there are dozens of unsigned players who’ve received invites, including some non-rookies still trying to get an NFL contract.
Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp invitees
And yes, Gee Scott Jr is the son of the longtime Seattle radio personality Gee Scott Sr. Gee Scott Jr was part of the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders practice squads last season, but he didn’t play in a game and otherwise is eligible for tryouts.
If you’re wondering about Jalen Milroe’s rookie minicamp eligibility, he accrued a full season and is under contract and therefore cannot participate.
Seahawks rookie minicamp ends on Saturday, May 2.
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