Donnelly says he doesn’t have a problem with housing them with federal prisoners. In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement started placing immigrants detained while crossing the border in a federal prison facility in Victorville. We asked Donnelly about an immigration issue that recently popped up in his district. I'm not going to another country, I'm not running away, I'm not moving to Texas, I'm staying right here and I am fighting for my rights and I'm fighting for the people that are disenfranchised, the people who feel left out, the people who are the forgotten Americans,” Donnelly says. “I'm fighting to become a Congressman so I can represent the people of my district who feel like they have no voice. Now, Donnelly is hoping his conservative credentials on immigration will help him close that gap.

In this year’s June primary, Donnelly got 23 percent of the vote to Cook’s 41 percent. With the presidency of Donald Trump bringing hardline conservative immigration policy into the mainstream, Donnelly has found his fortunes reversed.Ī former member of the Minutemen and staunch opponent of illegal immigration, Donnelly is now facing incumbent Congressman Paul Cook to represent California’s 8 th District. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 2014 and Congress in 2016.īut a lot has changed since then. KVCR's Benjamin Purper has more.Īfter leaving the California Assembly, Tim Donnelly’s political future was unclear.

Now he's facing one from the far right wing of his own party, in fellow Republican former state legislator Tim Donnelly. In 2016, Yucca Valley Republican Congressman Paul Cook faced a re-election challenge from the far left.

Paul cook vs tim donnelly