Sheriff suspends application for seat in the US House of Representatives once held by former Speaker McCarthy

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A county sheriff on Monday suspended his campaign for a California U.S. House seat once held by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, instead endorsing fellow Republican Vince Fong, who ran for the remainder of McCarthy’s term in a special election in May.

The move by Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux virtually ensures that Fong will seek a full term for the 20th Congressional District in November.

Fong, a former state representative who was endorsed by McCarthy and former President Donald Trump, defeated Boudreaux in the special election, and the two faced off again in November. Because Fong was installed as an incumbent, Boudreaux was unlikely to be able to change the outcome in the fall.

“It’s time to bring our region together,” Boudreaux said in an online video.

“I know Congressman Fong and have worked closely with him and his team for more than a decade. Although we were on different sides of this campaign, at the end of the day we are Republicans, family men and fighters committed to protecting individual liberty, lowering the cost of living and maintaining safe communities,” Boudreaux said.

The Republicans occupy 12 of the 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the predominantly Democratic state of California.

The two conservative Republicans and Trump supporters largely represent the same political terrain. During the election campaign, Boudreaux emphasized his decades of experience in the law-and-order movement and promised to strengthen the country’s porous border. Fong also promised to end “the chaos” on the border with Mexico and to prioritize water and energy needs in the agricultural belt.

McCarthy’s dramatic fall from power in the House – he was the only speaker in history to be voted out of office – left behind a chaotic campaign to succeed him that exposed rivalries within his own party. McCarthy worked behind the scenes to promote Fong’s candidacy; a McCarthy-linked political action committee contributed more than $700,000 to the 20th District race to support Fong’s campaign.

McCarthy resigned from the House last year after being ousted as speaker.

Michael R. Blood, Associated Press