Updated Sun, October 4, 2026 at 9:54 PM UTC
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is expected to join Congress hopeful Randy Villegas in a rally in Bakersfield Sunday afternoon for his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
Villegas, a progressive and self-described populist, is working to oust current Congressional District 22 representative David Valadao from the seat and flip the district blue.
The rally featuring Vermont’s Sanders comes as Congressional District 22 is poised to be one of the nation’s battleground districts and tightest races this midterm election.
The Villegas rally comes days after the Valadao campaign hosted a rally in Bakersfield that featured U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, along with several notable Central Valley and Kern County Republicans.
The rally will be held at Bakersfield High School. Doors open to the public will open at 4 p.m.
Stay up to date with Sunday’s rally with 17 News’ live blog.
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