Amy Dinovo doesn’t live in the 22nd Congressional District, which includes Bakersfield, but she understands the importance of flipping this seat, currently held by anti-worker Republican David Valadao.
That’s why the licensed clinical social worker at Kaiser Permanente drove up from her home in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday, August 22, and braved triple-digit temperatures to knock on doors for Randy Villegas, the Democratic challenger in the upcoming election for a seat that could decide whether Congress has a pro-worker majority next year.
“I strongly believe that we need to get out in force in this election,” Dinovo said. There is so much at stake, and Randy is a great option. We need to get Trump out, and all of that MAGA needs to go. It has been so hurtful to healthcare, to the workers; we’re seeing that play out every day in our clinics.”
Because it’s so critical that pro-worker Democrats win a House majority to provide a check on President Trump’s power and defend the rights of workers, NUHW members haven’t wasted any time getting involved in key races.
Earlier this month, NUHW members campaigned for Aisha Wahab, who won a special election to replace Eric Swalwell in Congress and will run for a full two-year term in November. Special interest lobbies had spent millions in the weeks leading up to the election trying to defeat Wahab, who has a sterling record standing up for working people.
“There’s a lot at stake,” said Jackki Patrick, a nursing assistant and Oakland native who serves on the NUHW Executive Board and went out to support Wahab before the special election. “Aisha Wahab is someone we know and trust; we can’t stay home when billionaires are cutting huge checks to try to keep her out of Congress.”
“Take a look,” Wahab told volunteers on Saturday, August 15, many of whom were wearing red NUHW shirts. “We are so diverse. We are coming together particularly because we know the East Bay is about community building and building together. And what we have seen in this particular race is well over $ 9 million spent on this seat. That is ridiculous…. It’s a ludicrous amount.”
Villegas is also likely to be vastly outspent by his corporate-backed rival, so he’s counting on volunteers like Saysamone Medrano, a medical social worker with Kaiser in Bakersfield, to help win the critical swing district.
“There’s too much money going to other people, and these candidates need our support in the frontlines to get the word out,” said Medrano, who was canvassing for the first time. “Randy supports the little people, the workers, and we need to support him.”
