How Kevin McCarthy is influencing this congressional race — without being on the ballot
VISALIA, Calif. — As he stood on a sun-dappled patio overlooking the Visalia Country Club, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux didn't mince words about his chances in his run for Congress.
"I am the underdog," Boudreaux told a crowd of supporters. "I am pushing back against a machine that is so powerful that it's very challenging, to say the least."
The power behind the machine is former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), who resigned from Congress last year after being voted out as House speaker. His name is not on the ballot, but McCarthy's political influence and campaign funds are still major factors in the fight over who will serve out the remainder of his term in Congress.
Voters in the 20th Congressional District, the most conservative in California, will choose Tuesday between two Republican candidates: Boudreaux, a sheriff from the northern half of the district; and
