Kevin Lincoln and Adam Gray Diverge on District 13 Path

A margin of 187 votes out of 210,921 ballots cast decided the 2024 contest for California's 13th Congressional District. That razor-thin result set the stage for a rematch on Nov. 3 between Republican Kevin Lincoln, Stockton's former mayor, and Democratic incumbent Rep. Adam Gray. While both candidates identify cost of living as the critical concern for households in the district, their proposed solutions to address economic pressures are fundamentally opposed.

The two men approach the contest from vastly different political starting points. Lincoln, a former Marine who previously sought a House seat in 2024, is a well-known figure in Stockton's local politics. Gray, who assumed his current role after his time in the state assembly, represents a district that was recently redrawn to include downtown Stockton. The reconfigured boundary now encompasses the core of the San Joaquin Valley's farming region and extends south along Interstate 5, bypassing Fresno near the Coalinga area. Prior to this realignment, 2023 state records indicated a voter registration split of 42.3% Democrats to 28.5% Republicans.

Financial resources favor the incumbent. Federal Election Commission data released on June 30 shows Gray has secured $4.2 million in contributions and loans, nearly doubling Lincoln's total of $2.2 million. Conversely, Lincoln carries significant political weight from the executive branch. In December, President Donald Trump publicly granted Lincoln his 'Complete and Total Endorsement.' Lincoln continues to cite this support on his campaign platform. He has also participated in a promotional video for the National Republican Congressional Committee. His professional history includes serving in the Marine Corps' White House Military Office, where he guarded the presidential helicopter Marine One from 2001 to 2005, and serving as executive pastor at Stockton's LifeSong Ministries through 2020.

Lincoln argues that lowering taxes and boosting job growth are the correct methods to restore affordability, specifically targeting gas, food, and utility costs. He claims Gray has a record of voting for tax increases in the state legislature, asserting that Gray increased the gas tax over 113% per gallon during his tenure. Gray, a native of Merced, counters that he worked to reverse Republican Medicaid cuts and attempted to prevent the president from imposing tariffs without congressional approval.

Gray, who serves as a whip for the Blue Dog Coalition, presents himself as an independent voice rather than a partisan one. Regarding immigration enforcement, he characterizes the deportation policies as 'irresponsible, reckless, dangerous.' He also points to rising gasoline and diesel prices since the start of the war with Iran as evidence of economic instability. Lincoln, meanwhile, states he 'knows how to grind, knows how to fight and how to win a tough election.'