By admin 
U.S. Rep. Adam Gray, D-Merced, nearing the end of his first term in Congress and with potentially another tough election campaign ahead, remains frustrated by the extreme partisanship by both major political parties.
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Gray, a longtime centrist Democrat, was elected to the San Joaquin Valley seat in 2024 by 187 votes in a district that President Donald Trump carried by a significant margin. Since arriving in Congress, he has sought common ground with Republicans, including voting for a defense bill that included restrictions on transgender service members and backing a GOP-led tough border security bill. Those efforts have done little to foster bipartisan relationships during his first term, Gray said.
“It seems to be one of the most partisan Congresses that we’ve experienced in certainly recent memory or perhaps in history,” Gray told The Sacramento Bee last week. “And I’ve built my entire political career out of being a centrist. I’ve never shied from that. … If the White House or the Republican leadership were going to talk to somebody about votes or try to create some kind of bipartisan compromise, I would be one of the first ones that they would approach. Yet here we are on the heels, or excuse me, on the precipice of another election here, just less than two months away, and none of those conversations have really occurred.”
His district has historically been among the most competitive in the country. Gray lost his 2022 bid by 564 votes and in 2024 became one of 13 House Democrats to win a district that Trump also carried.
This November, he faces former Stockton mayor and Republican candidate Kevin Lincoln. Gray is expected to benefit from the congressional boundaries created under Proposition 50, which gave the district a slightly more Democratic edge.
The 13th District remains centered on agricultural communities including Patterson, Modesto, Turlock, Atwater, Merced, Madera, Los Banos and Firebaugh. Under the new boundaries, it extends north to include French Camp and parts of Stockton.
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The Bee spoke with the Gray earlier this month in Mendota — a small, heavily Latino city in Fresno County.
In the interview, Gray said Democrats should focus on governing rather than symbolic votes against Trump if they regain control of the House. He also condemned the federal administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, cited support for potential future Democratic House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries and pushed back against Republican criticism that he supports socialism. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lincoln and his campaign have not responded to multiple requests for comment over several weeks.
Question: The way the political winds seem to be blowing is that Democrats may regain control of the House. If that does happen, what do you think the new leadership should focus on when it comes to the Trump administration?
Answer: Let’s govern, because what frustrates me and what I think frustrates a lot of people is that politics has become just a game of blaming the other party for everything, and I think a lot of voters ask the question, ‘Well, is my life getting better?’
My advice to Democrats is: If we want people to vote for us, if we want people to support our efforts, we ought to make people’s lives better. Making people’s lives better does not mean having a symbolic vote on something that goes to the Senate and dies — that’s what the Republicans have done for two years. A bunch of symbolic votes, and very little has gotten done. And the American people are saying, ‘Hey, that’s not good enough.’ So, as Democrats, let’s not have a bunch of symbolic votes.
Q: So what I’m hearing is less of a focus on symbolic votes against Trump?
A: Absolutely, yeah, because people say all kinds of things that you can’t accomplish. If you go, they’re gonna impeach Trump. OK, well, is that something you can accomplish?… Frankly a lot of that stuff is like virtue signaling.
Q: There’s been a nationwide surge in arrests, detentions, deportations, pretty much every category you can think of, including against people that are following the legal pathway and people who have no criminal records. Do you support the Trump administration’s current approach to immigrants, and specifically, where do you draw the line when it comes to enforcement?
A: It’s an easy, one-word answer: No.
I do not support the Trump administration. I think it’s irresponsible, reckless, dangerous. You’ve literally seen citizens, American citizens, shot and killed. When you’re seeing that many examples and stories, then somebody’s not providing leadership.
My position on immigration is we need an all-of-the above approach, right? I’ve signed on to almost every bill that I think I can for immigration reform, from the Farm Worker Modernization Act, Dignity Act — which are bipartisan — to other bills that aren’t bipartisan. I want to see action … I’ve actually voted with my Republican colleagues on several occasions on bills that they felt strongly increased border security.
Now, very few of those bills I thought were perfect. In fact, many of them I have some pretty strong criticisms of them, but I would offer that up to you as an example of me saying, ‘OK, I’ll meet you halfway.’ If you’re saying that we’ve got a border security issue, then let’s look at some solutions and some changes to make that more secure. But then let’s also look at some changes to help folks work and live here peacefully, lawfully, and pursue a better life for their family.
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Q: I saw some criticism earlier this month from Republicans. They cited one of your House votes against a resolution that would have condemned socialism in all its forms. Over the summer, you co-launched this political pledge, which said we are capitalists, not socialists. Can you explain your vote against the resolution?
A: Republicans also love to do symbolic votes. I just find that stuff just real — what’s the right word for it — insincere, just political nonsense. I like to do serious work, not symbolic nonsense.
It’s a silly thing to assert that the Democrat who’s leading the Promise to America charge. I’m actually challenging every other Democrat in this country to sign a pledge that says we are capitalists, not socialists, because I believe in capitalism. I believe in the free market.
Q: Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the Democratic Party has pretty aligned views with the Democratic Socialists of America when it comes to some issues like universal healthcare, climate change and moving away from fossil fuels. Do you agree with that assessment?
A: One thing that I think is absolutely true is that every Democrat in this country, from the most progressive or liberal to the most conservative — I think we all believe that every American in the richest country on earth, in the most productive country, should have healthcare, and they should have healthcare that they can afford.
Whether you’re Adam Gray or whether you’re some far-left New Yorker, we all agree everyone should have healthcare, and everyone should have healthcare that they can afford, and it should be high quality and good. That’s one of the reasons we’re going to win the midterm elections is because the Republicans have said we don’t care about that. We’re going to cut it. We’re going to slash it. And Democrats have said no. We’re going to protect that.
Q: If Democrats do retake the majority, would you support Congressman Hakeem Jeffries as House speaker?
A: Yeah, I would. I mean, at this point, these Republicans have been so bad, I’d probably support just about anybody for House speaker that’s not one of these clowns. That’s actually interested in passing Farm Bills and fixing problems instead of having votes about socialist nonsense or whatever. And Jeffries, I think, is well poised to become the speaker if Democrats take the House back.
Q: Data centers have kind of been the talk of D.C. the last few weeks. Where do you stand on them? Some people have come out suggesting a moratorium. Do you support that?
A: I tend to think that if we look at our history, you find very few examples in history of banning things working out.
But it is important to have regulations and rules and make sure that things are working well for people. And there’s a lot of concern out there. I think it’d be irresponsible of Congress not to take that seriously.
Q: This seat, your district, has been historically one of the most competitive in the country. You famously won by 187 votes in 2024. This year, political experts are saying things are a little bit different. As we’ve talked about, there’s a lot of frustration with the Republican Party right now. Polls are showing high disapproval ratings for President Trump. Historical voting patterns show that typically the party in power loses control of Congress. Prop. 50 made your district a little more blue. Are all these factors making you feel confident about retaining your seat this November?
A: I’ve always lived in a world where you have to earn every vote, and I will say that winning by 187 made it crystal clear to me… I have a lot of respect for elections. I’m gonna work my tail off. If it was a five-point Trump district, and they moved it bluer, maybe it’s a dead-even district now. But I still got to earn every vote, and I’m mindful of that.
Q: What are your thoughts on your Republican challenger, Kevin Lincoln?
A: I think Kevin’s a nice man. I’ve known him throughout the years — he’s run for a bunch of stuff. So he seems like he’s looking for a place to that he can win.
During the primary, he had big signs everywhere that said Trump endorsed, and now he has big signs everywhere that don’t say Trump endorsed. What voters want here is an independent voice, not a Democratic voice, not a Republican voice. They just want somebody who’s going to go up there. They may be Democrat or Republican, but they want someone who’s going to always put the Valley first. And I think when you’re running right now with really the sole purpose of trying to keep the House in Republican hands and allow Trump to continue to do whatever he wants, I’m not sure that’s a great message that Valley voters are going to get behind.
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