Adam Gray clings to lead over John Duarte in toss-up California congressional race
A California Democratic Assemblyman clung to a thin lead over a Republican farmer in one of the nation’s few remaining toss-up congressional elections Tuesday.
The race between Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, and John Duarte of Modesto in California’s 13th Congressional District is one of a handful of uncalled elections that could limit a GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
It will take days, or weeks, to know who won.
Gray, 45, had 50.2% of the votes with almost 84% of them counted, according to the Associated Press after more returns were released Tuesday evening. Duarte, 56, trails by four-tenths of a point, or 348 votes.
The new 13th formed through redistricting, the once-a-decade redrawing of legislative lines, covers all of Merced County in a stretch from Lathrop past Coalinga, taking in half of Modesto and Turlock. Registered Democrats have an edge over Republicans.
The race here was considered a toss-up by independent analysts leading up to the November midterms.
Republicans did not match analysts’ expectations of a “red wave” on Tuesday night. But they are still expected to take control of the House — and choose House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, as speaker.
As of Tuesday evening, Democrats were projected to win 208 seats. Republicans, 217. A party needs 218 to hold the majority.
A moderate Democrat, Gray has represented much of the area in the Assembly for a decade, focusing on water issues, infrastructure and bolstering Central Valley health care, such as through the creation of a medical school program at UC Merced.
Duarte operates Duarte Nursery in Hughson. He similarly is concerned with water access as well as curbing inflation and increasing American drilling.
Gray pulled ahead of Duarte for the first time since election night on Monday. Before that, when the AP said Duarte had been up by 84 votes, Gray’s campaign filed a Federal Election Commission committee to raise funds for a recount.
California’s San Joaquin Valley is home to another toss-up in the 22nd Congressional District, where Congressman David Valadao, R-Hanford, faces Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield. Per returns released Tuesday afternoon, Valadao had 52.2% of the votes with more than 62% counted.
