This left-leaning Central Valley district is set for tight fall race and possible GOP pickup
Assemblyman Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, will face John Duarte, a Modesto Republican, in November’s election for California’s 13th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the win for them Wednesday afternoon.
Duarte had 33.6% of the vote. Gray had 32.9%. Almost 60% of the ballots had been counted. Under the state’s primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
Overall, 50.5% of the vote went to Democrats and 49.5% to Republicans, suggesting a tight race in November. A Republican win would help the party gain control of the House in 2023.
Gray, 44, had been leading by a razor-thin margin until the AP call.
The 13th, newly drawn based on 2020 census data, holds all of Merced County in a stretch from Lathrop to Coalinga and captures part of Modesto and Turlock in the east.
Gray has represented much of the area in the California State Assembly for the last decade. A self-described “radical centrist,” he has pushed for water access and health care initiatives in Merced.
A founding member of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus, Gray said in a pre-primary interview he wants to bring his strength in working across the aisle to Congress..
“I have a track record of both preaching bipartisanship, but also letting my actions set the example for others,” Gray said. “I’ve not been afraid to vote against my own party when the issue is wrong for my district, and I haven’t been afraid to work with the other party to make sure that we get things done for the Central Valley.”
Duarte, 55, a farmer and founder of Duarte Nursery, spoke similarly on water issues in an interview prior to the election. He also wants to curb government spending in an effort to lower costs.
“I’m gonna look at every policy decision and its impact on the high cost of living,” he said. We’ve got to fight inflation. And there’s a lot of policies, spending plans, regulations and supply chain failures that are driving up the cost of living.”
The new 13th would have voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election by a margin of 11%. Independent analysts say that the race leans Democrat but that circumstances could change.
District voters would also have voted to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, in 2021. Coupled with Biden’s deflated job-approval rating, the district is seen as a prime pickup opportunity for the GOP.
This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 6:56 PM.
