Mike Barkley has run for Congress six times. Is this the year he beats Tom McClintock?
Mike Barkley has no consultants and no paid staff. He’s received $1,091 in campaign contributions. His centerpiece issue, as a Democrat running in a new congressional district drawn for a Republican, is a call for repealing the right to bear arms.
His strategy: Knocking on thousands of doors.
So far, he has about 36% of last Tuesday’s primary vote in the 5th Congressional District, while a seven-term incumbent, Rep. Tom McClintock, has 44%. Barkley will be the November challenger to the veteran Republican conservative.
“The party was out there for me, and I’m the guy who showed up,” said Barkley, explaining his surprisingly strong showing. “I did think Magsig would do better.” Nathan Magsig, a Republican Fresno County supervisor, was running a distant third in the 5th, which extends from the Fresno area to the Sacramento region.
So who is Barkley?
He’s 76 and lives in Manteca. He has a law degree. He has been an accounting manager at Sierra Pacific Insurance and a programmer-analyst at two other companies. He’s an Oakland native and served in the Navy from 1964 to 1967.
He lists membership in several Democratic and liberal groups, including Progressive Change Campaign Committee, American Civil Liberties Union, Modesto/Stanislaus NAACP and Planned Parenthood. He’s also active in the Modesto Peace/Life Center, which promotes “nonviolent solutions locally to societal and global issues.”
Barkley runs for Congress
He has run for Congress six times. In 2020, he sought the 10th District against Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat, and finished fourth in the primary with 3.5% of the vote. He ran seventh in 2018 against Republican Rep. Jeff Denham. His best showings came in 2014 and 2016, when he received 14% each time against Denham.
On Tuesday, he was aided by being the only candidate listed as a Democrat and was endorsed by the California Democratic Party’ and California Labor Federation. There were four Republicans, who collectively won 60.5%, Freelance writer Steve Wozniak, who had no party preference, won 3.3%. The district was rated solid Republican by three independent House analysis groups.
Barkley’s chief issue is guns. He wants to repeal the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
“Owning a gun should be a privilege, not a right,” he said.
Passing any sort of gun restrictions in Congress has proven nearly impossible. Repealing the Second Amendment is even more unlikely. But Barkley takes a long view.
“It usually takes about 100 years” to achieve such major goals, he said, noting how efforts to pass an Equal Rights Amendment are now 99 years old.
Another big issue is flooding. Barkley fears the Central Valley could be in for a repeat of the floods of 1861-62, and has a detailed plan for how to ease that potential.
Barkley’s challenge now, and it’s a big one, is trying to topple McClintock, who has a strong following in a district that former President Donald Trump won with 55% in 2020. Earlier this week, Trump endorsed McClintock, whose House votes last year earned him a perfect rating from the American Conservative Union.
“I’d like to think so, but no,” said Democratic consultant Steven Maviglio, when asked if Barkley has a shot.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, when asked about Barkley’s prospects, suggested looking instead at other congressional races it deemed “districts in play.”
McClintock appears unworried
McClintock, who has raised about $1.1 million so far and beat a strong challenger two years ago with 56% of the vote, was optimistic about his prospects.
Consultant Chris Baker noted that McClintock has represented seven of the eight counties in the newly-drawn district for the past decade.
“We never take any race for granted. At the same time, the numbers speak for themselves,” Baker said. “Republicans took nearly 60% of the vote in the primary so we feel good about the general election.”
Asked how he plans to raise money, Barkley said he has a considerable amount in the bank. Otherwise, he said, “I’ll make phone calls” and plans to have a platform page instructing supporters how to contribute.
He hopes to get in touch with the state and national parties. “My wife has been after me to do that,” he said. “I haven’t started yet.” And he intends to add some staff.
Barkley’s immediate plan is to keep knocking on doors. He’s already put on his extra wide Nikes and knocked on about 7,000 in the Fresno area. Over the years he estimates he’s reached about 170,000.
“I tell them I can bring innovation, and be responsive to their needs,” he said. “Knocking on doors is what I do best.”
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Mike Barkley has run for Congress six times. Is this the year he beats Tom McClintock?."
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