Fong earns batch of endorsements in race
Assemblyman Vince Fong started his new year strong with a string of new endorsements this week, including Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and Clovis Mayor Lynne Ashbeck.
In a statement, Smittcamp said that “with crime on the rise,” residents and lawmakers need to prioritize law enforcement.
“Vince Fong has been a tireless advocate for public safety and will continue that record in D.C.,” Smittcamp said.
This was reiterated by Zimmer, who added that the Bakersfield Republican has “always put public safety first.”
“Vince will continue to fight liberal, out-of-touch, soft-oncrime policies and be a champion for restoring common sense and accountability to our justice system,” Zimmer wrote. “I am proud to endorse Vince Fong for Congress.”
While 2023 crime data has not yet been officially presented to the public, Zimmer told reporters in August that Kern last year had broken its five-year streak of having the highest homicide rate in California.
Kern County did have the second highest rate statewide in 2022, according to a report by State Attorney General Rob Bonta.
In Fresno County, Police Chief Paco Balderrama told reporters at a press conference on Dec. 29 that homicides citywide were down 43% in 2023, compared to the previous year.
Major crimes were also in decline, and officers touted a 100% homicide investigation clearance rate for the year, meaning all cases were investigated and prosecuted.
This comes one week after Fong won his appeal in a Sacramento court ruling to appear on the ballot for the 20th Congressional District, a seat formerly held by his mentor Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield.
The appeal came shortly after California Secretary of State Shirley Weber ruled that Fong could not simultaneously run for Congress and the state Assembly.
The decision to pick Fong comes amid an 11 candidate race that includes five Republicans and two Democrats. Some have law enforcement or public safety backgrounds, such as Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
Summarized in a separate statement, Ashbeck said that Fong is someone who has delivered results “throughout his entire career.”
“He understands the issues we face in Clovis and will be our best advocate,” Ashbeck said. “I know that Vince will represent our community well in Congress, which is why he has my full support and endorsement.”
Fong has served in the state Assembly for seven years, where he has prioritized issues on public safety, water, energy, and job creation.
He is currently the candidate on two ballots for the March primary election — for the 32nd Assembly District, and the state’s 20th Congressional District, which includes parts of Kern, Tulare, Kings, and Fresno counties. Fong’s reelection candidacy for the Assembly seat, according to the certified list released last month, remains unopposed.