Election results: Democrat Adam Gray leading in early returns for California congress seat
No matter the outcome in Tuesday’s 13th Congressional District primary, a pair of fresh faces will compete for the U.S. House seat in November.
The question is, will the new congressman be a Democrat or Republican?
Assemblyman Adam Gray, a Democrat who represents Merced, had 33.1% of the votes at 6:10 a.m. Pacific Time Wednesday. Behind him was Republican John Duarte with 30.8%.
Gray, 44, a self-described “radical centrist,” has served in the State Assembly for the last decade and is the only candidate who lives in the 13th district full time.
Duarte, 55, a Modesto farmer and founder of Duarte Nursery in Hughson, is part of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s Young Gun program, which recruits and supports candidates it considers promising. He had the most campaign cash on hand heading into Tuesday, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Following Duarte was another Democrat, Phil Arballo, who had 19.1%. Arballo, 43, a business owner, ran against former Congressman Devin Nunes in 2020.
Also running are Republicans David Giglio and Diego Martinez, both business owners. Giglio had 14.1%; Martinez had 3%.
Almost 66% of votes had been counted by 6:10 a.m.
The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the November midterm general election.
All five candidates said water access was a top priority.
The 13th, redrawn based on 2020 census data, leans Democratic. It takes in all of Merced County within a stretch from Lathrop past Coalinga, and captures parts of Modesto and Turlock in the east.
Voters there would have elected Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020 by 11 percentage points.
But Republicans view the incumbent-less San Joaquin Valley district as a prime pick-up opportunity as Democrats face headwinds nationally.
Historically, the party of the president does poorly in midterm elections, and Biden’s approval rating is dismal amid inflation and pandemic problems. The 13th would have recalled Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, suggesting that its voters would be open to a Republican in 2022.
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 8:42 PM.
