CA: Adam Gray, Kevin Lincoln expected to advance in 13th Congressional District
Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Gray and Kevin Lincoln, the Republican former mayor of Stockton, are expected to advance to the November general election in the race for the 13th Congressional District, according to the early voting returns.
As of 8:58 p.m. Tuesday, Gray led the race, with about 42.4% of the votes, while Lincoln had secured roughly 28.1%.
Vinay Kruttiventi, an entrepreneur who largely funded himself in the campaign, was in third place with about 16.4%. The top two advance to the general election.
“I appreciate the strong support from voters across California’s 13th District,” Gray said in a statement Tuesday night. “It means a lot to represent the Valley community where I was born and raised. Our campaign is focused on putting the Valley first and earning support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike by staying focused on what matters here: lowering costs, supporting working families, and getting government working better.”
The 13th District became more blue following Proposition 50, a voter-approved redistricting effort to oust House Republicans. Gray flipped the seat in 2024 by just 187 votes, and it was historically one of the few competitive House races in California.
The redrawn map continues to encompass areas in Patterson, Modesto, Turlock, Atwater, Merced, Madera, Los Banos and Firebaugh. The biggest change is that the boundaries now go farther north to include French Camp and Stockton, which is Lincoln’s hometown. Coalinga, Mendota and Huron are no longer in the district.
The Cook Political Report, which provides independent, nonpartisan election analysis, shifted its rating for the 13th District last year from “tossup” to “leans Democratic.” Even so, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried it by just half a percentage point over President Donald Trump in 2024.
The early primary results seem to indicate Lincoln will have to make up votes in the coming months. In previous years, the district has seen tons of money poured in by both parties to defend vulnerable incumbents and bolster challengers.
Gray, a native of Merced, is currently a member of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees and is the whip of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and conservative Democrats.
Lincoln, a Marine Corps veteran and third-generation Stockton resident, ran against Rep. Josh Harder for the 9th District in 2024 and lost by a four-point margin. That district is less competitive following Prop. 50.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 8:32 PM with the headline "CA: Adam Gray, Kevin Lincoln expected to advance in 13th Congressional District."
