With fewer than 200 votes between the candidates in Congressional District 13, Democrat Adam Gray declared victory Tuesday evening over Republican incumbent John Duarte.
Per Tuesday’s preliminary tallies, Gray picked up 22 votes in Fresno County, growing his lead ahead of Duarte to 187 votes.
The five counties that fall within the district – Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin –have until Dec. 5 to certify their elections. California must certify its election by Dec. 13.
The race is a repeat from 2022, when Duarte beat Gray by 564 votes, making it the second closest race in the country.
“I’m honored to become the Congressman-elect for California’s 13th Congressional District,” Gray said in a statement, minutes after Fresno’s new vote totals were posted online.
“The final results confirm this district is ready for independent and accountable leadership that always puts the Valley’s people ahead of partisan politics,” Gray said.
Thank you #CA13! Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/FftFIUNkei
— Adam C. Gray (@AdamGrayCA) December 4, 2024
The Merced FOCUS left two phone messages with the Duarte campaign seeking comment.
Gray’s apparent victory underscores the fact that CA-13 remains a purple district.
While Trump flipped nearly all of the district’s San Joaquin Valley counties from blue to red (with Madera being the exception), those same counties apparently voted differently for their presidential and congressional candidates.
The candidates themselves also straddle both sides of the political spectrum. During the Debate at the State in Modesto days before the election, Duarte declared himself pro-choice on abortion and said he supports same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, Gray earned endorsements from Merced County’s conservative sheriff and district attorney.
In his victory statement, Gray again said he’s committed to working across the aisle.
“In Washington, I’ll work everyday to deliver the resources that the Valley needs: clean water, better educational opportunities, stronger infrastructure, and more good-paying jobs. And you can count on me to build bipartisan relationships to accomplish these goals.
Early in ballot tabulation, Duarte took a commanding lead in Fresno and Madera among voters who returned their ballots prior to Election Day. Vote totals show Gray gained traction in Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus as same-day ballots were counted.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took partial credit for flipping the seat in a statement Tuesday night.
“The DCCC is proud to have played a role in flipping this seat, and we’re excited to welcome Adam to Congress to fight the good fight for his constituents and their needs,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement. She also called Gray “a no-nonsense Valley problem solver who’s ready to bring his track record of service and bipartisanship to the halls of Congress.”
It’s possible that first-time voters who showed up at Merced County polls late on Election Day gave Gray the last-minute push he needed. Merced’s Registrar of Voters Melvin Levey said vote centers across the county saw high in-person turnout, and this election saw the county’s second-highest turnout behind the 2020 Presidential Election.
As ballot tabulation came down to the wire, both campaigns focused on ballot curing during the weekend after Thanksgiving. Ballot curing is a process in which voters’ signatures must either be confirmed or collected.
In Merced County, over 1,000 ballots were cured, with the last 378 added to vote totals Monday. About 700 ballots were never cured, Levey said.