10 months ago
27
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Despite redistricting and pugnacious opponents, Democratic Congressman Jim Costa has managed to triumph 10 Congressional races to correspond the Central Valley successful Congress.
However, it is inactive chartless if helium volition beryllium capable to support his spot successful the United States House of Representatives.
He's facing a competitory challenger successful enactment Michael Maher.
Costa represents radical successful parts of Tulare and Fresno counties successful California's 21st Congressional District. Before going to Congress, helium served successful some the California State Assembly and Senate.
"That's my passion, representing our workplace communities arsenic a third-generation workplace kid, being an advocator for the fig 1 cultivation authorities successful the nation. But astatine the aforesaid time, focusing connected improving the prime of beingness for radical present successful presumption of proscription and wellness care, investing successful people," Costa said.
He's served connected the House Committee connected Agriculture since 2005, and for the past fewer years, the House Committee connected Foreign Affairs.
He says he's helped bring location billions of dollars for projects crossed the country aft astir 20 years successful Congress. From everything to drinking water, reservoir improvements, road operation and airdrome upgrades.
"You can't get things done successful h2o and proscription and wellness attraction and broadband unless you're consenting to ballot to o.k. funds that volition travel backmost home," Costa said.
But arsenic immoderate privation caller faces and alteration successful Congress, Costa says his acquisition is an plus to his constituents.
"Over the years, I developed a estimation of not lone moving connected a bipartisan manner but having established expertise successful h2o and transportation. And that's the crushed that astir each of the large cultivation organizations person endorsed my candidacy oregon supported me," Costa said.
Maher, a governmental newcomer who's ran for this seat, and a antithetic Congressional spot unsuccessfully successful years past, is simply a veteran, a erstwhile FBI agent, and a concern owner.
"We person not had enactment present successful the Valley that has been talking astir however exceptional the radical and this spot is. And successful that we're not getting equitable attraction from our representatives," Maher said.
He said he's not impressed with Costa's grounds and voters would beryllium amended served nether idiosyncratic new.
Maher said his inheritance successful the subject would beryllium amended for Central Valley veterans. And his enactment acquisition successful the concern satellite has helped him travel up with caller solutions for h2o and renewable energy.
"It's clip for a caller procreation of authorities focused connected delivering solutions, focused connected uniting communities. And that's what we tin bash present successful the vale and truly beryllium a portion of a caller procreation of accidental and occurrence alternatively of the aforesaid old, aforesaid aged messaging," Maher said.
He says his apical priorities would beryllium warring inflation, bringing jobs to the country and moving to find existent solutions to immigration.
"I'm much suited for it than a idiosyncratic who's been successful authorities their full life, I ain and run businesses. I've already helped bring investors' wealth to beryllium enactment close present successful our valley. And so, if I'm capable to bash that successful the backstage sector, not adjacent successful government, however overmuch much arsenic a U.S. Congressman who really tin enactment and prosecute with the national agencies and really thrust innovation here," Maher said.
Election time is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
