California appellate court rules Asm. Vince Fong can stay on Nov. ballot as CD-20 candidate [Video]

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield Assemblymember and 20th Congressional District candidate Vince Fong will remain on the Nov. 5 ballot for Congress, the state’s third district appellate court in Sacramento ruled Tuesday morning.

It was a unanimous decision by the three justices.

Since Fong first declared his run for Congress in December 2023, he and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s chief elections official, have been in a legal tug-of-war regarding his congressional candidacy.

The issue?

Fong is a declared candidate for both re-election to his state Assembly seat, as well as that CD-20 seat, left vacant by Kevin McCarthy.

In December, a Sacramento superior court judge ruled in favor of Fong, allowing him to remain on the March 5 presidential primary ballot as a congressional candidate. That’s why you saw his name on the March ballot.

Weber appealed that decision, and a hearing was held last Thursday.

And Tuesday morning, the justices rejected that appeal, stating “The petition for writ of mandate is denied. The parties …