The House’s newest member will serve out the remainder of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s term, then run again in November.
Former California Assemblyman Vince Fong, a Bakersfield Republican, became the newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives June 3 in a brief swearing-in ceremony.
House members paused briefly between votes Monday night as its newest member took the oath of office, vowing to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.
“I’m truly honored, humbled, and grateful to be given this opportunity by the voters to serve and be a strong voice for our region,” Mr. Fong said after the oath was administered by Speaker Mike Johnson on the House floor.
Mr. Fong, 44, won a special election in May, defeating Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. He will serve the remainder of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s term to represent the state’s 20th Congressional District.
Mr. McCarthy resigned in December after he was ousted as Speaker of the House, requiring the district to hold a special election to fill the remainder of his term, which ends in January.
Following the special election victory, Mr. Fong resigned his seat in the Assembly to prepare for Congress. His last day was May 24.
Mr. Fong will face Mr. Boudreaux again in November when district voters decide which candidate will serve the seat’s next two-year term that begins in January.
Rep. Ken Calvert, who represents Riverside County, presented the newest House member during the ceremony and congratulated him after the oath was taken, noting the “valuable insights” learned from working as a staff member with past congressmen.
Before becoming an elected official, Mr. Fong served as a staff member to former House member Rep. William Thomas, who was in office from 1979 to 2007, as well as Mr. McCarthy, who served from 2007 to 2023 and attended Monday’s swearing-in ceremony.
“While he may have just arrived, Vince is joining our delegation after serving in the California Assembly since 2016,” Mr. Calvert said. “We have no doubt you will be just as successful as your mentors,”
Mr. Fong thanked his wife, Amanda Boschma, who was in the gallery of the chamber during the ceremony, his parents and mother-in-law.
He said more has to be done to find solutions and deliver results for the country.
“We need to address the border crisis. Stop the rising cost of everyday essentials that are squeezing family budgets, and work to keep families safe,” he said. “We must strengthen our crumbling infrastructure. Find long-term solutions to water and energy resources, especially in the West. And create more career and educational opportunities. And we must support our military installations.”
He also talked about his own family’s past.
“I was born and raised in the Central Valley [of California],” he said. “The son of a pharmacist who moved his family to Bakersfield, California, for new opportunities, never imagining that one day he would witness his son speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives,” Mr. Fong said. “Our region is known for its grit, its perseverance, and its generosity, driven by faith, family, and patriotism. I am blessed to call it my home.”
With Mr. Fong’s addition, the House is now made up of 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. Four vacancies remain with the death of Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr., and the resignations of former Republican Reps. Bill Johnson, Ken Buck, and Mike Gallagher.