Adam Gray is sticking with a bipartisan campaign in California's District 13 even after Prop. 50 made the seat lean more Democratic. The 49-year-old incumbent says he is still trying to appeal to voters on both sides of the aisle.
Gray won the House seat two years ago by fewer than 200 votes, and he said the strategy has not changed much since the district's registration numbers shifted. As of Sept. 4, Democrats made up 42% of registered voters, Republicans 27%, and 23% had no party preference, out of 348,208 registered voters.
Gray and Kevin Lincoln
Gray's district includes all of Merced County and parts of Fresno, Stanislaus, Madera and San Joaquin counties. His Republican challenger this term is Kevin Lincoln, a former Stockton Mayor who has the support of the Republican Party in Merced County and an endorsement from Donald Trump early in his campaign.
Gray told The Merced FOCUS, "You can both be a strong Democrat, as I am, and still believe in bipartisanship." He also said he is still focused on being someone who can make relationships across the aisle and remain moderate.
Prop. 50 and District 13
Prop. 50 made District 13 more Democratic, but Blake Zante of the Maddy Institute said that shift does not automatically mean voters want more progressive policies. He said, "It seems like more progressive candidates are winning in some of these races in municipal, state, and federal elections all across the country, so I think it’s hard to pinpoint whether or not Prop. 50 [changed] the types of Democratic voters included [in the district]," and added, "I think overall the goal was to make it a safer Democratic seat."
Zante also said, "It’s not a “progressive wave” but “a general discontentment on the direction of the country.”" In District 22 in the southern San Joaquin Valley, David Valadao faces Randy Villegas, and Villegas's campaign was boosted by recent visits from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a contrast to Gray's more centrist approach.
Gray's Valleycrat approach
Gray is still pursuing what he has called a "Valleycrat" strategy, seeking support from Republicans even as several Democratic candidates with strong progressive backings have gained momentum more recently. The district's registration mix leaves him competing for voters who are not already locked into either party, including the 23% with no party preference and the Republican share that still makes up more than a quarter of the electorate.
The seat Gray flipped in 2024 remains close enough that small changes in voter coalition could matter, but the available facts do not show any change in his campaign message. Whether that centrist strategy is enough in a district that has become more Democratic is the unresolved question heading into the race.
