Elect Adam Gray to put CD-13 on the right track for progress.
Adam Gray’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a representative leader for the constituents of CD-13 and will govern effectively for this diverse district if he is subjected to increased community accountability. It is critical that voters hold him accountable to ensure that his legislative efforts remain in the best interests of the district and constituents. This is a Republican-held seat that Democrats have prioritized to flip to maintain control of the House.
Progressive endorsements: Gray has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association. In his 2022 bid for CD-13, he also received problematic endorsements, including the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the Modesto Police Officers Association, the Ceres Police Officers Association, and the Deputy Sheriffs Associations of Fresno and Stanislaus Counties.
Electoral history: Gray served for 10 years in the State Assembly, representing District 21. He was first elected in 2012 with 58% of the vote, and was re-elected most recently in 2020 with 59% of the vote. He ran for the CD-13 seat in 2022, but lost to Rep. John Duarte by less than half a point.
Top issues: Protecting water access and agriculture, education, youth development and workforce programs, public safety, veteran services, and health-care access.
Priority bills: During 2022, his last year in the State Assembly, Gray authored 24 bills addressing tax law, employer practices, high-speed rail, and water quality. Of these, six were successfully chaptered into law, one was vetoed, and the rest died in committee. He scored a Lifetime CS of 15 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Gray supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote during his time in the State Assembly. Notably, he failed to support bills to expand the Racial Justice Act, limit the use of oil wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and hospitals, establish new standards for the use of solitary confinement in prisons, create overdose-prevention programs in several California cities, and return bail money to defendants whose charges are dismissed or not filed. Across issues, Gray was often an opponent of progressive change. He is a founder of the California Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan and bicameral group that claims that their collaborative work allows them to take a more holistic approach to evaluating legislation. In reality, the Problem Solvers Caucus actively works with problematic industries against progressive policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: Gray is a public official, a role he has pursued because he wanted to fight for his community after the Great Recession. Gray is a longtime supporter of water access and has advocated against the Bay-Delta Plan, which would have redirected surface water in wildlife-conservation efforts. He has also secured funding for a joint medical school in Merced and Fresno to address the shortage of medical residencies available in the region. Gray’s family has been involved in farming in the region for many years.
Other background: Gray is a lifelong resident of Merced.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Adam Gray (D), and incumbent Rep. John Duarte (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gray’s campaign has raised $258,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Republican Rep. John Duarte
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Duarte’s campaign has raised $1.7 million as of December 2023, and is funded by fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 13th Congressional District includes parts of Merced, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, and San Joaquin Counties.
Voter registration: 42% Democrat, 29% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats held this seat until 2020, when it was redistricted and Rep. John Duarte flipped it from blue to red.
District demographics: 50% Latino, 6% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-13 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 11 points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by 8 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Elect Adam Gray to put CD-13 on the right track for progress.
Adam Gray’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a representative leader for the constituents of CD-13 and will govern effectively for this diverse district if he is subjected to increased community accountability. It is critical that voters hold him accountable to ensure that his legislative efforts remain in the best interests of the district and constituents. This is a Republican-held seat that Democrats have prioritized to flip to maintain control of the House.
Progressive endorsements: Gray has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association. In his 2022 bid for CD-13, he also received problematic endorsements, including the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the Modesto Police Officers Association, the Ceres Police Officers Association, and the Deputy Sheriffs Associations of Fresno and Stanislaus Counties.
Electoral history: Gray served for 10 years in the State Assembly, representing District 21. He was first elected in 2012 with 58% of the vote, and was re-elected most recently in 2020 with 59% of the vote. He ran for the CD-13 seat in 2022, but lost to Rep. John Duarte by less than half a point.
Top issues: Protecting water access and agriculture, education, youth development and workforce programs, public safety, veteran services, and health-care access.
Priority bills: During 2022, his last year in the State Assembly, Gray authored 24 bills addressing tax law, employer practices, high-speed rail, and water quality. Of these, six were successfully chaptered into law, one was vetoed, and the rest died in committee. He scored a Lifetime CS of 15 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Gray supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote during his time in the State Assembly. Notably, he failed to support bills to expand the Racial Justice Act, limit the use of oil wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and hospitals, establish new standards for the use of solitary confinement in prisons, create overdose-prevention programs in several California cities, and return bail money to defendants whose charges are dismissed or not filed. Across issues, Gray was often an opponent of progressive change. He is a founder of the California Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan and bicameral group that claims that their collaborative work allows them to take a more holistic approach to evaluating legislation. In reality, the Problem Solvers Caucus actively works with problematic industries against progressive policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: Gray is a public official, a role he has pursued because he wanted to fight for his community after the Great Recession. Gray is a longtime supporter of water access and has advocated against the Bay-Delta Plan, which would have redirected surface water in wildlife-conservation efforts. He has also secured funding for a joint medical school in Merced and Fresno to address the shortage of medical residencies available in the region. Gray’s family has been involved in farming in the region for many years.
Other background: Gray is a lifelong resident of Merced.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Adam Gray (D), and incumbent Rep. John Duarte (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gray’s campaign has raised $258,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Republican Rep. John Duarte
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Duarte’s campaign has raised $1.7 million as of December 2023, and is funded by fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 13th Congressional District includes parts of Merced, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, and San Joaquin Counties.
Voter registration: 42% Democrat, 29% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats held this seat until 2020, when it was redistricted and Rep. John Duarte flipped it from blue to red.
District demographics: 50% Latino, 6% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-13 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 11 points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by 8 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
Elect Adam Gray to put CD-13 on the right track for progress.
Adam Gray’s track record and policy positions demonstrate that he will be a representative leader for the constituents of CD-13 and will govern effectively for this diverse district if he is subjected to increased community accountability. It is critical that voters hold him accountable to ensure that his legislative efforts remain in the best interests of the district and constituents. This is a Republican-held seat that Democrats have prioritized to flip to maintain control of the House.
Progressive endorsements: Gray has the endorsement of some progressive groups, including California Teachers Association. In his 2022 bid for CD-13, he also received problematic endorsements, including the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the Modesto Police Officers Association, the Ceres Police Officers Association, and the Deputy Sheriffs Associations of Fresno and Stanislaus Counties.
Electoral history: Gray served for 10 years in the State Assembly, representing District 21. He was first elected in 2012 with 58% of the vote, and was re-elected most recently in 2020 with 59% of the vote. He ran for the CD-13 seat in 2022, but lost to Rep. John Duarte by less than half a point.
Top issues: Protecting water access and agriculture, education, youth development and workforce programs, public safety, veteran services, and health-care access.
Priority bills: During 2022, his last year in the State Assembly, Gray authored 24 bills addressing tax law, employer practices, high-speed rail, and water quality. Of these, six were successfully chaptered into law, one was vetoed, and the rest died in committee. He scored a Lifetime CS of 15 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of legislators’ progressive voting records. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Gray supported very few progressive bills that made it to a vote during his time in the State Assembly. Notably, he failed to support bills to expand the Racial Justice Act, limit the use of oil wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, and hospitals, establish new standards for the use of solitary confinement in prisons, create overdose-prevention programs in several California cities, and return bail money to defendants whose charges are dismissed or not filed. Across issues, Gray was often an opponent of progressive change. He is a founder of the California Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan and bicameral group that claims that their collaborative work allows them to take a more holistic approach to evaluating legislation. In reality, the Problem Solvers Caucus actively works with problematic industries against progressive policies.
Governance and community leadership experience: Gray is a public official, a role he has pursued because he wanted to fight for his community after the Great Recession. Gray is a longtime supporter of water access and has advocated against the Bay-Delta Plan, which would have redirected surface water in wildlife-conservation efforts. He has also secured funding for a joint medical school in Merced and Fresno to address the shortage of medical residencies available in the region. Gray’s family has been involved in farming in the region for many years.
Other background: Gray is a lifelong resident of Merced.
The Race
Primary election: There are two candidates running in the March 5 primary, including Adam Gray (D), and incumbent Rep. John Duarte (R). The top two vote recipients will advance to the general election on November 5.
Candidate fundraising and pledges: Gray’s campaign has raised $258,000 as of December 2023, and is not funded by police, real estate, fossil fuel, or corporate PAC interests.
Opposing candidate: Republican Rep. John Duarte
Opposing candidate’s fundraising and pledges: Rep. Duarte’s campaign has raised $1.7 million as of December 2023, and is funded by fossil fuel, corporate PAC, and real estate interests.
The District
Counties in district: California’s 13th Congressional District includes parts of Merced, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, and San Joaquin Counties.
Voter registration: 42% Democrat, 29% Republican, and 22% No Party Preference. Democrats held this seat until 2020, when it was redistricted and Rep. John Duarte flipped it from blue to red.
District demographics: 50% Latino, 6% Asian, and 4% Black. This district is considered to be one of the 16 strong Latino seats in the California congressional delegation.
Recent election results: CD-13 voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 by 11 points and Brian Dahle for governor in 2022 by 8 points.
The Position
Congressmembers represent and advocate for the needs of their district constituents at the United States Capitol. They are responsible for creating, debating, and voting on legislation that addresses issues within their district.
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives, the largest delegation in the country. There is no term limit for this position.
