The former Stockton mayor announced he’s challenging incumbent Adam Gray for California’s redrawn 13th Congressional District.
STOCKTON, Calif. — Former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln announced Thursday he’s running for California’s 13th Congressional District, which will be redrawn following the passage of Proposition 50.
Lincoln, a Republican, is challenging Democratic incumbent Adam Gray, who flipped the seat by beating John Duarte in a tightly contested race in November 2024.
It’ll be Lincoln’s second time running for Congress. In the 2024 General Election, Lincoln lost to incumbent Democrat Josh Harder in the race for California’s 9th Congressional District.
“As a Marine and former Mayor, I’ve always dedicated my life to serving others, and today, I am proud to announce that I will be running for U.S. Congress in California’s 13th district,” Lincoln said in a statement. “I look forward to the opportunity to meet and introduce myself to every voter in the district and to continue my service and fight for Valley families.
The 13th District currently encompasses the city of Merced, Turlock and parts of Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Fresno counties.
The redrawn boundaries of the district cover parts of Stockton and stretch all the way to the Central Valley, including Stanislaus, Merced, and Fresno counties.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released the following statement in response to Lincoln’s announcement:
“Kevin Lincoln can run for Congress wherever he wants, but he can’t run from his record of skyrocketing housing and utility costs, rampant crime, and taxpayer-funded perks for himself. Adam Gray wins tough races because he knows every inch of the Valley, shows up, and delivers. Voters here trust that Adam is focused on getting results for their families in Congress – not chasing political ambition. That’s why he’ll win again next November.”
On Wednesday, California Republicans filed a lawsuit to block to the U.S. House map that voters approved.
A citizens’ ballot initiative was also introduced to limit the use of the redrawn maps for one Congressional term. To qualify for the 2026 ballot, the initiative would need to collect and file 874,641 valid signatures with the county election offices.
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