Congressman David G. Valadao Biography
Congressman David G. Valadao was born and raised in Hanford, California in the center of the agriculturally rich Twenty-Second Congressional District. As a lifelong resident of the Central Valley, he has been active in agriculture and dairy industry groups, as well as many local charities.
The Valadao family emigrated from the Azores Islands of Portugal to the United States in 1969. After settling in the Central Valley, Valadao’s father started a small dairy farm in the Central Valley in 1973. Valadao was born on April 14, 1977.
The family business now consists of two dairies, as well as over 1,000 acres of farmland in Kings and western Tulare County, on which Valadao and his family grow almonds, alfalfa, corn, and wheat as dairy feed stock.
Intimately involved in the dairy industry, Valadao has taken on leadership roles within the California Milk Advisory Board, and Western States Dairy Trade Association. In addition, he was elected as Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
Valadao attended local schools, graduating from Hanford High School in 1995 and later attended the College of the Sequoias in Visalia. Valadao married his high school sweetheart, Terra, in 1999. Together, they have three beautiful children.
In 2010, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 30th State Assembly District. Valadao served on several California Assembly Committees including the Agriculture Committee, where he held the position of Committee Vice-Chair.
In 2012, Valadao was elected to represent California’s 21st Congressional District, which included Kings County and portions of Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties. Valadao represented the 21st District in Congress from 2013-2018. In 2020, Valadao was elected to return to Washington to serve in the House of Representatives. Due to redistricting, Rep. Valadao was reelected to serve his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for California's 22nd Congressional District, which includes Kings, Kern, and Tulare Counties.
In all of Rep. Valadao's five terms in Congress, Valadao has served on the influential House Appropriations Committee, which is the committee responsible for funding the federal government and determining where American tax dollars are spent.
Since he came to Congress, Valadao has established himself as a leader in agriculture and water policy, two important issues for his constituents in CA-22. His time in Congress has been focused on combating the water issues impacting California’s Central Valley and ensuring Congress does everything in their power to provide relief for the farmers, families, and entire communities suffering from the ongoing water shortages due to drought and years of water mismanagement.
Valadao’s work on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Committee has fostered his interest in ensuring our active duty military members have the tools and services they need to defend our nation and keep Americans safe. Valadao worked hard to ensure Naval Air Station Lemoore was named the location for the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet of the F-35C aircraft. Valadao is also dedicated to keeping our promises to our nation’s veterans by making sure those who served our country are taken care of in their retirement years and receive the best quality healthcare available.
