Democrat Randy Villegas, a community college professor with notable progressive endorsements, has won the race for California ’s 22nd congressional district in an contest that shaped up to be one of the toughest political battles in the state.

He unseated the six-term, incumbent Republican congressman, David Valadao, in a district that was considered the only true toss-up across the state of California after being redrawn under Proposition 50 , a voter-approved ballot initiative that remade the state’s voting maps last year.

Villegas called it a victory for “hundreds of volunteers, tens of thousands of grassroots donors, and working families who believed we could build something better together”.

“With today’s election results, the Central Valley proved what’s possible when working people come together and refuse to let billionaires, Washington, and special interests decide our future,” Villegas said in a statement on Tuesday night.…