Adam Gray faces Kevin Lincoln in California's 13th Congressional District race

Democratic Rep. Adam Gray and Republican Kevin Lincoln, former mayor of Stockton, face off Tuesday in California's 13th Congressional District election.

Gray is seeking a second term after winning the closest House race in the country in 2024, when he unseated Republican Rep. John Duarte by 187 votes. It was the last House race of that cycle to be decided, nearly a month after Election Day. The contest was a rematch of 2022, when Duarte beat Gray by 564 votes. Both races were held under the district's old boundaries.

Under voter-approved Proposition 50, the redrawn district is centered on Merced County and includes parts of Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Madera and Fresno counties, reaching north into Stockton.

Gray, a Merced native, represented Merced and Stanislaus counties in the state Assembly from 2012 to 2022. He describes himself as a moderate and is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of centrist House Democrats. His campaign highlights water access for farmers, agriculture and healthcare, and he points to legislation aimed at expanding water storage and streamlining the permit process for water projects.

Lincoln, a Marine Corps veteran, was elected Stockton mayor in 2020, defeating incumbent Democrat Michael Tubbs. In 2024, he ran for Congress in the 9th District and lost to Democratic Rep. Josh Harder. His campaign has emphasized cutting government spending, lowering taxes, securing the border and fighting what he calls soft-on-crime policies. He has been endorsed by President Trump and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In the June primary, Gray received 42% of the vote and Lincoln received 28%. They were the top two finishers in a four-candidate field.