John Duarte vs. Adam Gray in California Congress tossup: Candidates answer key questions
One of the nation's most competitive House of Representatives races is a November rematch between freshman Rep. John Duarte, R-Modesto, and former Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced.
Nonpartisan election analysts say that the 2024 race between Duarte and Gray is a tossup, meaning it could go either way in November.
California's 13th Congressional District, which includes all of Merced County and chunks of Madera, Stanislaus, Fresno and San Joaquin counties, has more registered Democrats than Republicans. Voters there would have picked President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump by 11 percentage points in the 2020 election.
This Latino-majority voting district tends to have very low turnout, which potentially means older, white, conservative voters disproportionately weigh in on elections there.
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In 2022, Gray lost to Duarte by fewer than 600 votes, one of the closest elections in the nation that year.
This district is one of several across the country that Democrats are hoping to flip to take gain the House majority in 2025. So is the neighboring 22nd Congressional District, where Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, and former Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, are also in a tossup rematch .
Currently, there are 220 Republicans, 211 Democrats and four vacancies in the House. Three of those empty seats were held by Democrats, one by a Republican. The number for control of the chamber is 218, meaning Democrats need to flip four seats nationwide to win control of the House.
The Bee asked Duarte and Gray to fill out a survey. Their responses were checked and slightly edited for spelling and grammar.
John Duarte
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Occupation: U.S. Representative, farmer
Education: University of the Pacific (MBA); San Diego State University (Bachelor's degree)
Offices held: U.S. Representative (2023-present)
Campaign website address: johnduarteforcongress.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people?
People deserve good-paying jobs and a quality lifestyle. They should be able to afford a home, food, gas, and save for retirement.
First, I propose reducing taxes on food and gas and cutting unfair fees that drive up housing prices. Second, I propose producing more American energy to lower power bills. Third, we need to make sure farmers have all the water they need to create more good-paying jobs.
Q. What changes, if any, do you support for immigration and border policy?
The southern border is both a humanitarian and national security crisis. It's simple: Immediate action is needed to secure it and stop the human trafficking and drug smuggling. If that means a fence, increasing border patrol agents, or deploying drones, then that is what we should do.
But we also must protect undocumented families who are working and living in our Valley. I support a pathway to legal status for those who work, pay taxes, and live law-abiding lives. I stood up to my party on this issue, and I'll keep working for a bipartisan compromise that fixes our broken immigration system.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
We need water for our farms and communities. Right now, too many farms are dry, and too many families are living without safe drinking water. That needs to change.
I am working to deliver water by upgrading our canals, pipes, and reservoirs. I have secured millions from the government for recharge basins that increase our groundwater supply and improve pipes and canals. Currently, I am working to extend the South Folsom Canal to get more water to our Valley.
Adam Gray
Political party:
Age:
Birthplace:
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Occupation: Small businessman, educator
Education: University of California, Santa Barbara (Bachelor's degree)
Offices held: California State Assemblyman (2012-2022)
Campaign website address: adamgrayforcongress.com
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people?
The cost of groceries, utilities, and everyday goods is too high for Valley families.
Give the middle class a tax cut now while we work to bring down inflation and lower prices. Lower the cost of energy with homegrown power. Modernize hydropower facilities and build new ones. More water to grow food and power to lower the cost of utilities. Prioritize local oil production to bring down gas prices and allow us to import less oil.
The high cost of housing is the result of too few homes being built. Red tape makes homes more expensive. Let's streamline construction and infrastructure.
Q. What steps will you urge to improve cost of living and quality of life for people?
Additional visas for agricultural workers to provide the workforce we need to feed the world and a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding guest workers. Extend DACA protections to those who came to the U.S. as children and prioritize deportations for those who commit crimes in the U.S.
Q. Other than cost of living, immigration and the border, what is one of the greatest issues Californians are facing and what tangible measures do you propose Congress take to address it?
Water. Farmers are forced to fallow fields even in wet years, and nearly a million Californians do not have access to clean drinking water. Water rates are through the roof, driving up the cost of food and the cost of living for working families.
Most of our dams were built half a century ago when 25 million people called California home. As our population eclipses 40 million, we need our water infrastructure to grow with us. California needs to build new storage, both above and below ground, clean-up contaminated drinking water, and maximize our water supplies.
