TJ Cox

TJ Cox

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House California District 21

U.S. House California District 21

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2021

Years in position

1

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 6, 2018

Last election

November 3, 2020

Personal

Profession

Engineer and businessman

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

TJ Cox (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 21st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2019. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.

Cox (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 21st Congressional District. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020.

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Due to nationwide changes in election administration in 2020, Ballotpedia is exercising increased caution before projecting elections winners. Click here to read our new election calling policy and vote total update schedule.

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His professional experience includes working as an engineer and small businessman. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and created the Central Valley Fund.

Cox listed the following as his priorities as a congressman:

“

Lead the fight to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable care Work tirelessly common-sense immigration reforms that include a path to citizenship and protections for DACA recipients Protect Medicare and Social Security and fight back against any attempt to privatize or cut these programs End Big Money in politics and fix our rigged political system by sponsoring and passing comprehensive campaign finance reform

”

2020 battleground election

See also: California's 21st Congressional District election, 2020

Incumbent TJ Cox (D) and David G. Valadao (R) ran in the general election for California's 21st Congressional District on November 3, 2020.

The race was one of 56 U.S. House rematches from 2018. Valadao represented the district from 2013 to 2019. Cox defeated him in 2018 50.4% to 49.6%.

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+5, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Democratic than the national average.

In February 2019, Cox was named among the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)'s Frontline program members. DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said, "Our Majority hinges on these Members from tough seats winning reelection in 2020, and with today’s announcement we’re sending a clear message that the DCCC will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight ahead."

Valadao was announced as a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)'s Young Guns program in April 2020. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said, "These candidates are running extraordinarily competitive, top-of-the-line campaign operations. ... Their hard work has put the majority well within our reach, and I look forward to welcoming each one of them to Congress come fall."

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

Elections

2020

See also: California's 21st Congressional District election, 2020

Due to nationwide changes in election administration in 2020, Ballotpedia is exercising increased caution before projecting election winners. Click here to read our new election calling policy and vote total update schedule. 

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 21

Incumbent TJ Cox and David G. Valadao are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 21 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate
		TJ Cox (D)
		David G. Valadao (R)

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Running in this race? Join your other candidates for a conversation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 21

David G. Valadao and incumbent TJ Cox defeated Ricardo De La Fuente and Roque De La Fuente in the primary for U.S. House California District 21 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David G. Valadao (R)	49.7	39,488
✔		TJ Cox (D)	38.7	30,697
		Ricardo De La Fuente (D)	9.2	7,309
		Roque De La Fuente (R)	2.4	1,912

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 79,406

Candidate profile

TJ Cox

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

U.S House (Assumed office: 2019)

Biography: 

Cox was born and raised in California, and his parents came to the U.S. from the Phillipines and China. He received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nevada and an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. He was an engineer and businessman. After volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, he created the Central Valley Fund.

Key messages

• Cox said he delivered for working families and stood up to Trump in office. He said he "authored bold legislation to expand rural health care access, secured $10 million for post-traumatic stress research in military service members, and delivered millions in funding for desperately needed water storage and infrastructure."

• Cox said he helped build health clinics across the valley and that he fought for asthma treatment funding and to make healthcare more affordable.

• Cox's ads said Valadao voted with Trump 99% of the time. They called Valadao a yes-man for Trump and said Valadao's agenda is a copy of Trump's. He said they both supported cutting protections for people with pre-existing conditions, instituting a health insurance age tax, and undermining Social Security and Medicare.

Sources: YouTube, "TJ Cox, Videos," accessed October 1, 2020; Vote Smart, "TJ Cox's Biography," accessed October 1, 2020; TJ Cox's 2020 campaign website, "Meet TJ," accessed October 1, 2020

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are automatically updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
TJ Cox	Democratic Party	$5,165,339	$4,685,646	$534,484	As of October 14, 2020
David G. Valadao	Republican Party	$3,747,906	$2,895,188	$931,637	As of October 14, 2020
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: California's 21st Congressional District election, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Cox (D)	Valadao (R)
Newspapers and editorials
The Fresno Bee editorial board		✔
Individuals
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Organizations
U.S. Chamber of Commerce	✔

2018

See also: California's 21st Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 21

TJ Cox defeated incumbent David G. Valadao in the general election for U.S. House California District 21 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		TJ Cox (D)	50.4	57,239
		David G. Valadao (R)	49.6	56,377

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 113,616

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 21

Incumbent David G. Valadao and TJ Cox advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 21 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David G. Valadao (R)	62.8	34,290
✔		TJ Cox (D)	37.2	20,293

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 54,583

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

TJ Cox has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

• 872 candidates completed the survey in 2019. This number represented 10.4% of all 8,386 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2019. Out of the 872 respondents, 237 won their election. Candidates from 33 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included Nashville Mayor John Cooper and Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. Read the 2019 report for more information about that year's respondents.
• 1,957 candidates completed the survey in 2018. This number represented 6.9% of all 28,315 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2018. Out of the 1,957 respondents, 477 won their election. Candidates from 48 states completed the survey. Noteworthy respondents included U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Read the 2018 report for more information about that year's respondents.

Campaign website

Cox's campaign website stated the following:

“	Seniors "We must keep our promises to seniors." Generations of Americans built the Social Security system out of a shared belief that if you work hard your whole life, you should be able to count on a retirement you can live on. TJ strongly supports this model. When TJ was a boy, his father was tragically killed in a car accident, and Social Security’s Survivor Benefits for Children helped TJ and his family in their time of need. TJ is committed to protecting Medicare and Social Security so that seniors and families in the Central Valley receive the full benefits they have been promised — and he will stand up against any attempt to privatize or cut these programs. Immigration "We need a system that works for our families and our economy." As the son of immigrants, TJ knows and appreciates the value and contributions immigrants make to our communities and our country, and believes everyone working here in the United States deserves a pathway to legal status. Immigrants in the Central Valley and beyond should be valued for their contributions to their community and the local economy. For the Valley’s businesses to thrive, we need an immigration system that actually works. TJ’s proudest moment in Congress was his vote for the American Dream and Promise Act, which protects DACA recipients who came to America as children and offers them a pathway to citizenship without fear of deportation. TJ also helped create a workforce solution for the agriculture industry here in the Valley, which relies on the contributions of immigrants, through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. TJ has been a strong advocate for humanitarian standards for those in border control custody, and he has worked to protect DACA students from discrimination in colleges. You can count on TJ to continue the fight against President Trump’s cruel and senseless immigration policies in Congress. TJ doesn’t see the diversity of our nation as a problem, but as our promise. Healthcare "Central Valley families deserve access to affordable care." The Covid-19 pandemic has only highlighted the need for healthcare reform both in the Central Valley and across the nation. We must ensure affordable and accessible healthcare for all Americans. Before being elected, TJ secured hard-to-get funding for community health clinics across the Central Valley. His efforts have brought health care access to rural communities so that hardworking families can see doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals when they need to — and in their own communities. He has funded clinics in Fowler, Mendota, Parlier, and Sanger, creating over 250 local health care jobs and serving over 40,000 residents here in the 21st District. In Washington, TJ has offered amendments that increased the Affordable Care Act’s outreach and education to areas of high unemployment. He also supported the Lower Drug Costs Now Act that will force drug companies to lower their outrageous prices so that people can get the prescriptions they need without having to worry about the cost. Here in the Central Valley, we suffer from respiratory illnesses like Valley Fever and asthma at much higher rates than other places around the country. Thirty percent of all cases of Valley Fever occur locally in Kern County. In Congress, TJ introduced the End Valley Fever Now Act as well as four bills to help people in the Valley who suffer from asthma and COPD. TJ also serves on bipartisan committees in Congress that focus on finding solutions for people who suffer from diabetes as well as substance abuse. TJ advocates for expanding tele-health services, particularly for people living in rural communities far from hospitals or other treatment centers. He introduced legislation that would increase funding for these services in rural areas, which is now even more essential in the time of the Coronavirus pandemic. TJ is committed to the fight for fair & equitable healthcare access in the Central Valley. Jobs "We need to jumpstart and sustain our economy." TJ knows how to come up with innovative and creative solutions to create jobs in our communities. Before being elected to Congress, TJ was the founder of the Central Valley’s most successful community development entity. TJ has created more than 2,000 jobs, built businesses from the ground up, and developed job training programs that prepare Central Valley residents for 21st century jobs — all right here at home. TJ doesn’t just create jobs; he creates careers that pay a living wage and offer benefits. As founder of a nut processing plant in the Valley, TJ knows firsthand that agriculture drives our Central Valley economy. In Congress, TJ’s plan to provide critical relief to more family farmers during the agricultural downturn became law. As a member of the Agriculture Committee TJ has ensured that California’s farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table and that they have the support they need to continue supplying the world with fresh produce, dairy and meat. In Congress, TJ will continue his work in creating health care, agricultural and other good-paying jobs. He will work to create and foster new agricultural businesses, protect and expand export markets, fight for fair trade deals, and invest in job training. While we are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, you can count on TJ to put more Americans back to work. Water "We must protect the lifeblood of the Central Valley." TJ knows that water is the lifeblood of the Central Valley. Unfortunately, the Valley has been particularly susceptible to extreme weather patterns in California, including both long droughts and periods of heavy precipitation. As one of the nation’s largest agricultural centers, we need reliable water sources and storage to combat these volatile weather patterns. As an engineer, TJ understands the necessity of water storage and conveyance systems here in the Valley. That’s why TJ fought for $150 million in funding for these projects in his first year in Congress. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee he introduced and advocated for legislation that will restore the water carrying capacity for conveyance facilities that have been impacted by land subsidence, like the Friant-Kern and Delta-Mendota canals. TJ agrees that access to safe, clean drinking water is a human right. The State of California declared this back in 2012, but there are still more than 300,000 Californians who lack access to clean water. Over half of these people live in Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern countries that make up California’s 21st Congressional District. That’s why TJ has made it his mission to fight for clean water in Congress. He introduced the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Act, which would establish a grant program to close gaps in access to safe drinking water for residents of the Central Valley. TJ understands that the lack of water storage capacity and access to clean drinking water is a public health emergency in California, and it is one of his top priorities to solve this crisis as your representative. Education "Nothing is more important than investing in our children’s future." In the 21st century, curriculum focused on STEM and career readiness is essential, yet many rural school districts lack access to these opportunities. TJ introduced the INSPIRES Act in Congress, which will build STEM classrooms and labs in rural public schools as well as provide for high-speed internet access for students. The Covid-19 pandemic has only increased our reliance on technology for education. TJ has written numerous letters to House and Senate leadership requesting funding for rural STEM infrastructure and help for educators in rural communities to teach online during these times. In CA-21, only 8 percent of residents have a college degree. TJ believes in lowering the cost of college for students, holding universities accountable for student success, and helping students graduate on time and ready to join the workforce. Prior to being elected to Congress, TJ funded local community college facilities and programs here in the Central Valley, including the West Hill Community College Farm of the Future. In Washington, TJ introduced the Remedical Improvement Act, which would help students receive federal financial aid to finish their studies and graduate on time. TJ will continue to spend his time in Congress working to close the educational gap that exists between rural and urban communities by increasing funding for STEM-based programs and modern infrastructure for Central Valley schools. Veterans "Our veterans sacrificed for us, now we must support and protect them." Veterans from all across the Central Valley have served courageously to protect our freedom. It’s our turn to honor them by ensuring they have access to their well-deserved benefits, quality healthcare and any other services they may need. TJ introduced the Caring for Survivors Act of 2020 to support the family members of veterans and ensure they are receiving the benefits they deserve. This bill will expand the benefits offered by the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Fund at the VA. Previously, veteran survivor benefits were not on par with other federal retirement programs. The least we can do to honor our courageous service-members and their families is to ensure that they are entitled to adequate benefits. Many of our veterans suffer from trauma after their time in service. In Congress, TJ passed an amendment that provided $10 million in funding for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress research within the Department of Defense. TJ also honored the brave servicemen in the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory group who were not receiving benefits they were entitled to by introducing the Forgotten Vietnam Veterans Act, extending their wartime veteran benefits. In rural communities like the Central Valley, many veterans live far away from their healthcare providers. To help increase veterans’ access to care, TJ introduced legislation that would offer grants to transport veterans to their healthcare facilities, regardless of where they live. TJ will continue to honor our brave veterans by passing legislation in Congress that protects them and ensures they receive the benefits they’ve earned.	”
—TJ Cox's campaign website (2020)

Campaign ads

"For Us" - Cox campaign ad, released October 23, 2020

"Carlos" - Cox campaign ad, released October 19, 2020

"Tackling Our Toughest Problems" - Cox campaign ad, released October 13, 2020

"Tough" - Cox campaign ad, released October 13, 2020

"Lit A Fire" - Cox campaign ad, released October 3, 2020

"For Too Many" - Cox campaign ad, released September 22, 2020

"Irene" - Cox campaign ad, released September 8, 2020

"Proud" - Cox campaign ad, released August 25, 2020

"Every Corner" - Cox campaign ad, released August 11, 2020

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2019-2020

Cox was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Natural Resources
• Committee on Agriculture

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

See also

Suggest a link

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External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Campaign website

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by David Valadao (R)	U.S. House, California, District 21 2019-Present	Succeeded by -