Kevin McCarthy's hand-picked successor can't run for the departing lawmaker's seat because he's already running in another race, California officials say

• Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy endorsed Calif. Assemblyman Vince Fong to succeed him in Congress.
• But the California Secretary of State's office said that Fong is ineligible to run for the seat.
• Fong had already filed to run in his Assembly district, and he can't appear as a congressional candidate as well.

In his waning days in office, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy threw his support behind California state Assemblyman Vince Fong to succeed him in the deep red 20th Congressional district.

But the California Secretary of State's office on Friday said Fong, who had previously filed to run for reelection in the Bakersfield-based 32nd state Assembly district, could not run for the soon-to-be-open congressional seat.