By admin 
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.
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As of 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, Gray led the race with about 88.5% of the votes tallied. He had received about 41.1% of the votes, while Lincoln had roughly 28.9% during early voting.
Vinay Kruttiventi, an entrepreneur who largely funded himself in the campaign, was in third place with about 18.3%. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
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.
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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.
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