Two Valley Veterans Split on Fixes for High Costs as Vote Nears

California's 13th Congressional District has not drawn this much attention since Adam Gray won it two years ago by 187 votes out of 210,921 ballots cast. On Nov. 3, Gray, a Democrat and former state assemblymember, faces Republican Kevin Lincoln, who served as Stockton's mayor.

The district runs through the San Joaquin Valley's farm country and south along Interstate 5 to about the Coalinga area, passing near Fresno. Before the lines were redrawn under Proposition 50, state records from 2023 showed 42.3% of voters registered as Democrats and 28.5% as Republicans.

Lincoln grew up in Stockton politics and is a former Marine who served in the Marine Corps' White House Military Office from 2001 to 2005, guarding the presidential helicopter Marine One. He also worked as executive pastor at Stockton's LifeSong Ministries through 2020. He ran in 2024 against Rep. Josh Harder in the 9th District, which covers most of Stockton, and lost. He had planned to run against Harder again, then shifted to District 13 after the boundaries changed.

Gray, a native of Merced, has held the seat since defeating Republican Rep. John Duarte by 187 votes. He serves as a whip for the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate lawmakers who work across party lines.

Both candidates put affordability at the center of the race. Lincoln says he wants to restore the American dream by making home ownership more affordable, and he has campaigned on lowering the cost of gas, food and utilities, creating jobs, cutting taxes and expanding access to healthcare. At a September rally, he said he "knows how to grind, knows how to fight and how to win a tough election." He also accuses Gray of voting to raise taxes and says Gray "increased the gas tax over 113% a gallon" while serving in the California Legislature.

Gray has called Trump's deportation policies "irresponsible, reckless, dangerous." He told the Sacramento Bee, "What voters want here is an independent voice, not a Democratic voice, not a Republican voice." On costs, he points to work he says he did to reverse Republican Medicaid cuts, to limit Trump's ability to impose tariffs without congressional approval, and to introduce a measure reducing regulations around thermal energy. Gasoline and diesel prices have climbed since the start of the war with Iran.

Lincoln carries President Donald Trump's backing. In December, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Lincoln has his "Complete and Total Endorsement," and Lincoln said at the time he was "honored and thankful." The endorsement still appears on his campaign website. Lincoln also recorded a "MAGA Majority" video for the National Republican Congressional Committee about his time as mayor, his Marine service and his work as a pastor. Democrats expect gas prices and immigration raids to weigh on candidates carrying Trump's approval.

Money favors Gray. Federal Election Commission figures as of June 30 show $4.2 million in contributions and loans for Gray, against $2.2 million for Lincoln.

Voters in District 13 cast their ballots on Nov. 3.