Nation’s largest RN union endorses Central Valley educator, organizer to expand health care access amidst unprecedented Republican cuts

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members, today announced its endorsement of Randy Villegas for California’s 22nd Congressional District. 

“Nurses believe Randy will fight courageously and skillfully to not only reverse the Republican Party’s trillion-dollar health care cuts, but also push for Medicare for All and policies that will improve the lives of Central Valley’s working families,” said NNU President Mary Turner, RN. “As a son of immigrants who was raised in the Central Valley, Randy experienced firsthand the importance of social programs like Medicaid and food assistance for working families. CA-22 is home to the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients of any Republican House district. More than ever, this community needs an advocate and organizer in Congress like Randy.”

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of NNU,” said Villegas. “Our nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and the most trusted profession in our country. They are there for us in our first breaths and with us in our final breaths. I’m proud to stand with them in this fight for Medicare for all, health care justice, and patient safety.”

NNU looks forward to helping elect Villegas and working closely with him in Congress on the pressing issues that affect registered nurses, our patients, and our communities.

In an August 2025 town hall organized by NNU, registered nurses, local elected officials and leaders, and members of community organizations across the Central Valley, Randy vowed to take on the elected officials and corporations destroying public programs like Medicaid.

The passage of the federal budget reconciliation bill represents one of the largest transfers of wealth in U.S. history. It steals nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding from everyday Americans, slashes insurance for 10 million people, and cuts food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to 22.3 million families – all to fund tax cuts for billionaires and corporations and the militarization of immigration enforcement. 

As many as 3.4 million people in California could lose their health insurance, including the parents and babies who depend on MediCal for safe deliveries (Medi-Cal finances nearly half of all births in the state). Rep. David Valadao currently represents California’s 22nd Congressional district, and his district has the highest share of Medicaid recipients of any House Republican’s. Despite the concerns of his constituents, including registered nurses who protested at his office in March 2025, he still voted to take away health care from 65,000 of his own constituents.

NNU supports candidates who are committed to nurses’ values, including staffing for patient safety in all hospitals across the country, protecting the rights of workers to organize, and guaranteeing health care to everyone as a human right. 

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.