Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in talks to advise powerful California water agency
Former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in talks to advise the Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in the country, as the California agency prepares to lobby under a friendlier administration for federal contracts with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, according to two sources.
The Bakersfield Republican, who previously served in the state Assembly, did not respond to requests for comment. A Westlands spokesperson and one other person familiar with his plans confirmed McCarthy was discussing taking an advisory role with the water agency.
As the largest publicly run farm water district in the country, Westlands, based in Fresno, covers 1,100 miles in the western San Joaquin Valley and represents powerful Central Valley farmers who have historically held close ties to California Republicans and members of President Donald Trump’s administration.
McCarthy was forced to step down as Speaker in fall 2023 after members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus rebelled when he brokered a deal with former President Joe Biden to keep the government open amid a looming shutdown.
Despite their acrimonious relationship, McCarthy’s potential consulting gig could put him on Trump’s side in the ongoing water wars with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has tried to placate the commander-in-chief while holding fast against some of his more hardline environmental and immigration stances. Newsom recently claimed victory after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued an “incident take permit” last week mitigating the threat the proposed Delta Conveyance Tunnel poses to endangered protected species.
Westlands has agreements with the Bureau of Reclamation to transport water from Northern California via the Central Valley Project. The agency boasts a $230 million annual budget, with hundreds of thousands going toward federal lobbying efforts. District members have also donated millions to friendly politicians, yielding the agency considerable political clout.
In recent years, the agency has taken steps to adapt to the realities of climate change. In 2022, longtime general manager Tom Birmingham retired prior to a newly elected reformist board taking over. The new board is credited with fashioning the agency into a formidable political force.
Westlands previously retained lobbyist David Bernhardt from 2011-16, during which he advocated for rolling back protections for endangered fish like the delta smelt, which became a central point of Trump’s argument that the recent Los Angeles wildfires were the result of overzealous environmental policies.
Trump tapped Bernhardt in 2017 for deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, angering environmentalists due to his ties to his previous lobbying clients. In 2019, Bernhardt later took over as secretary until stepping down in 2021.
(Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said that longtime general manager Tom Birmingham was ousted prior to a newly elected reformist board taking over. Birmingham announced his retirement prior to the new board taking over.)
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 9:42 AM.
