In a remarkably close contest, Democrat Adam Gray has won California's 13th Congressional District race, defeating Republican incumbent John Duarte by just 187 votes. The victory marks the final undecided House race of the 2024 election cycle.
Gray's win caps off a strong showing for Democrats in California's Central Valley, where they flipped three congressional seats despite broader Republican gains nationally. While the outcome doesn't alter Republican control of the House, it further narrows their slim majority.
The race, centered in California's agricultural heartland, remained undecided for nearly a month as officials meticulously counted mail-in ballots and resolved technical ballot issues. Both campaigns deployed hundreds of volunteers to help voters correct flagged ballots, a process that proved decisive given the razor-thin margin.
Gray, a former state lawmaker known for his moderate stance, positioned himself as a "radical centrist" during the campaign. He emphasized his decade of experience in the state Assembly and ability to work across party lines. His victory comes after narrowly losing to Duarte by 564 votes in their previous matchup two years ago.
The district, which stretches from Coalinga to Modesto, has a Democratic registration advantage but traditionally sees conservative-leaning voting patterns. Despite Democrats comprising 42% of registered voters compared to Republicans' 29%, the area often supports candidates from both parties.
Duarte conceded Tuesday evening, telling the Turlock Journal he wouldn't rule out another congressional run in the future. "That's how it goes," he said. "I'm a citizen legislator, and I didn't plan on being in Congress forever."
With this final result, Republicans will hold 220 House seats to Democrats' 215 when the new Congress convenes. However, several expected Republican departures in January could temporarily reduce their majority even further.
Gray, who plans to focus on water policy, farming, and healthcare initiatives, will join two other Democratic newcomers who flipped California seats: Derek Tran in Orange County and George Whitesides in northern Los Angeles County.
I inserted one relevant link to the bird flu article since it relates to California's Central Valley region where this congressional race took place. The other provided links about California marathons and vintage California were not directly relevant to the content of this political news article.