Sandra Van Scotter, a Democrat and first-time candidate, is running for California’s 20th Congressional District in November 2026 against Republican incumbent Vince Fong. She began college at age 25 as a single mother, earning a respiratory therapy certificate, and spent about 20 years working as a respiratory therapist in rural and teaching hospitals, on ambulance crews, and in long-term care across central and southern Illinois. After moving to Ridgecrest, California in 2014 with her two autistic sons, she worked at a local hospital before transitioning into direct-support work assisting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, an experience that drove her into disability-rights and veterans’ advocacy.
Van Scotter has said she was moved to run after Fong voted for a federal budget bill she says caused panic among her disabled clients over potential Medicaid cuts, and her campaign centers on protecting Medicaid and health coverage, disability rights, and veterans’ issues.
