Lincoln and Gray Battle for Redrawn California House Seat

Voters in California's 13th Congressional District will decide between two experienced politicians on Nov. 3. Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Gray faces Republican Kevin Lincoln, the former mayor of Stockton. Both candidates identify affordability as the central issue of the campaign, though they propose different solutions to address rising costs.

Lincoln is a well-known figure in local politics, having served as mayor of Stockton. Gray, a former state assemblymember, is less familiar to some residents despite his district now including downtown Stockton. Gray won the seat two years ago in a narrow contest against Republican Rep. John Duarte. He defeated Duarte by 187 votes out of 210,921 ballots cast.

Lincoln, a former Marine, previously ran in the 9th District in 2024. He lost that race to Rep. Josh Harder, who represented the portion of Stockton outside the current 13th District boundaries. Lincoln initially planned to challenge Harder again. He switched his target after state boundaries were redrawn under Proposition 50.

The redrawn District 13 covers the core of the San Joaquin Valley's agricultural region. It extends south along Interstate 5 to the Coalinga area, bypassing Fresno. State records from 2023 indicated the district had 42.3% registered Democrats and 28.5% registered Republicans before the redistricting took effect.

Fundraising figures show a substantial gap between the two campaigns. As of June 30, the most recent Federal Election Commission data lists Gray with $4.2 million in contributions and loans. Lincoln has raised $2.2 million. Lincoln has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who posted in December that Lincoln has his "Complete and Total Endorsement." Lincoln described the support as "honored and thankful" at the time and continues to feature the endorsement on his website.

The presidential endorsement assisted Lincoln in the primary election. Democrats in the district anticipate that high gas prices and aggressive immigration enforcement will impact candidates associated with the president. Lincoln has recorded a video for the National Republican Congressional Committee titled "MAGA Majority." In the video, he discusses his tenure as mayor, his Marine Corps service, and his work as a pastor. His LinkedIn profile states he served in the Marine Corps' White House Military Office from 2001 to 2005, where he guarded Marine One. He also served as executive pastor at Stockton's LifeSong Ministries through 2020.

Lincoln states his primary goal is to "restore the American dream" by making home ownership more affordable. He accuses Gray of voting to raise taxes repeatedly. During a September rally, Lincoln said he intends to lower costs for gas, food, and utilities. He also pledged to create jobs, cut taxes, and expand healthcare access. He added that he "knows how to grind, knows how to fight and how to win a tough election."

Gray, a native of Merced, has criticized Trump's deportation policies as "irresponsible, reckless, dangerous." He prefers to define his political stance independently of party labels. "What voters want here is an independent voice, not a Democratic voice, not a Republican voice," Gray told the Sacramento Bee. He currently serves as a whip for the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate lawmakers. Gray cites his work reversing Republican Medicaid cuts and limiting presidential tariff powers as key legislative achievements. He also introduced a measure to reduce regulations on thermal energy.

The candidates dispute the impact of recent policy changes on consumer costs. Gray points to rising gasoline and diesel prices since the start of the war with Iran. Lincoln counters by noting that Gray "increased the gas tax over 113% a gallon" during his time in the California Legislature.