CA-20: Outgoing Rep. Kevin McCarthy's potential successors only have until Dec. 13 to decide if they want to seek a full term representing this conservative seat. Businessman David Giglio, who took fourth in last year's top-two primary for the neighboring 13th District, launched an intra-party bid against the deposed speaker in late October, but he's unlikely to deter anyone else from getting in.
Indeed, one particularly infamous Republican didn't rule out a comeback hours before McCarthy announced his own resignation. "I’m just assuming that he’s running―that he’s going to run again," former Rep. Devin Nunes, who himself resigned from Congress last cycle to lead Donald Trump's disastrous social media enterprise, told The San Joaquin Valley Sun of his former colleague. "I’d be glad to support him if he wants to continue to run, and we’ll leave it at that."
After McCarthy made it clear he wouldn't be running again, though, an unnamed source told the site that "plenty could happen between now and Wednesday, but no one is better positioned to succeed McCarthy than Devin. If he wants to run, his election would be a mere formality."
There was already plenty of chatter about which Republicans could run in a McCarthy-less contest for this conservative seat, but one of the most talked about names, Assemblyman Vince Fong, said Thursday he won't be a candidate. But state Sen. Shannon Grove, who has also been the subject of much speculation, has yet to reveal her plans.
A few other Republicans also didn't rule anything out last week before McCarthy made his intentions known. Former Rep. Connie Conway, who served out the remaining quarter of Nunes' term, told gvwire.com, "If my service is needed, I’m okay with that." Assemblyman Devon Mathis, likewise, said of the former speaker, "If he is truly out, yes I would have to look at it." Clovis City Council member Diane Pearce additionally informed Politico, "My focus remains on serving Clovis and fighting to protect us from the onslaught coming from Sacramento. I’m not in the habit of closing doors though."
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, meanwhile, responded to McCarthy's announcement by telling the Sun, "I was surprised by Congressman McCarthy’s decision. I wish him well." Magsig last cycle ran against his fellow Republican, Rep. Tom McClintock, in the top-two primary for the 5th District, but he took a distant third with just 13%.
GVWire.com mentioned Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux last week as a possibility, but he doesn't appear to have said anything about running. Assemblyman Jim Patterson, however, declared Wednesday that he wouldn't run.