California's 13th Congressional District election, 2026

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The boundaries of this district will change as a result of California Proposition 50, which voters approved on November 5, 2025. Click here to read more about the mid-decade redistricting effort in California and other states.


2024
California's 13th Congressional District
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General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 6, 2026
Primary: June 2, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in California

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
California's 13th Congressional District
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California elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 13th Congressional District of California, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House California District 13

Incumbent Adam Gray, Vin Kruttiventi, Javier Lopez, and Alberto Escobedo are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 13 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Adam Gray
Adam Gray (D)
Image of Vin Kruttiventi
Vin Kruttiventi (R)
Image of Javier Lopez
Javier Lopez (R) Candidate Connection
Alberto Escobedo (No party preference)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Javier Lopez

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Javier has called Ceres home since the age of five. Before public service, he spent 20 years in the fire-suppression industry as a programmer, technician, building a work ethic, technical skills, and a commitment to fire life safety. That experience helped him lead a historic move to join MST Fire Consolidated, expanding resources and strengthening fire protection for Ceres residents. In 2020, Coach and business owner Javier Lopez made history by defeating a 3 term City Council opponent to become Mayor of Ceres on a “back to basics” platform focused on responsible spending and public safety. Under his leadership, the city increased pay for staff, including firefighters and police officers, repaired roads, and attracted new businesses and housing. He was re-elected in 2024 as he ran against two opponents. .Beyond City Hall, Javier is committed to mentoring youth. He began coaching freshman football at Central Valley High School, coaching staff lead the team to an undefeated season, and has since moved up to coach JV. Through coaching, he teaches discipline, hard work, leadership, and respect, shaping the next generation of leaders. He also helped create the Cross-Town Showdown Parade before the Friday Night Lights game between Central Valley High School and Ceres High School. Beyond City Hall,"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Public Safety I believe public safety is key to keep our citizens safe. By supporting funding and resources for both large and small city's.


Water for Farms & Communities In the Central Valley, water is instrumental for our farmers and citizens, I’m committed to more storage, fair water allocations, and smart infrastructure so our farmers can keep producing and our families can count on clean, reliable water.


Border Security & Immigration Reform I support strong, secure borders and fully enforcing immigration laws to reduce crime and stop gangs, drug smuggling, and sex trafficking. At the same time, we need a common-sense approach to immigration that respects law and order while supporting our economy, especially in agriculture. That includes expanding the H-2A visa program and creating a legal pathway to citizenship for the hard-working laborers who come here to help feed America. Border security and legal immigration reform must go hand in hand for our safety, our workforce, and our future.

Voting information

See also: Voting in California

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Public Safety

I believe public safety is key to keep our citizens safe. By supporting funding and resources for both large and small city's.

Water for Farms & Communities In the Central Valley, water is instrumental for our farmers and citizens, I’m committed to more storage, fair water allocations, and smart infrastructure so our farmers can keep producing and our families can count on clean, reliable water.

Border Security & Immigration Reform

I support strong, secure borders and fully enforcing immigration laws to reduce crime and stop gangs, drug smuggling, and sex trafficking. At the same time, we need a common-sense approach to immigration that respects law and order while supporting our economy, especially in agriculture. That includes expanding the H-2A visa program and creating a legal pathway to citizenship for the hard-working laborers who come here to help feed America. Border security and legal immigration reform must go hand in hand for our safety, our workforce, and our future.
As a member of Congress, I would focus on practical solutions for public safety, water, and immigration that work for the Central Valley. I’ll fight for federal funding so local police, fire, and first responders can hire, retain, and equip personnel to confront gangs, drugs, fentanyl, and human trafficking. I’ll support more water storage, recharge and surface water, while protecting water rights so farms stay productive and families have affordable, clean water. I’ll back strong border enforcement while fixing H-2A and creating a work-based, legal path for long-time farmworkers who follow the law and help feed America.
The most important characteristics for an elected official are integrity, accountability, and a real commitment to serving people, not a political career. Integrity means keeping your word, being honest about tough issues, and making decisions based on what’s best for the community, not what’s easiest or most popular in the moment. An elected official should also be willing to put in the work. As mayor, I’ve been hands-on: tackling public safety, supporting our police and fire, investing in code enforcement to clean up our neighborhoods, and pushing for projects like the surface water treatment plant, new housing, and better roads. That comes from a mindset of problem-solving, not making excuses.
The core responsibility of someone elected to this office is to be a strong, honest voice for the people they represent. That starts with listening. A Congressman should spend as much time in the district as in Washington talking with farmers, small business owners, working families, seniors, and young people so every vote is grounded in real local needs, not party talking points.

Another key responsibility is making and shaping laws that actually improve people’s lives. For our Central Valley, that means fighting for water storage and fair allocations, protecting agriculture and food security, supporting public safety, securing the border while fixing our broken immigration system, and helping make life more affordable for working families.

This office is also responsible for oversight and accountability. A Congressman must hold federal agencies accountable, fight waste and abuse, and make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and fairly especially when it comes to water, infrastructure, and public safety funding in rural regions like ours.

Finally, there is a responsibility to deliver and to report back. That means bringing home federal resources for roads, water projects, public safety, veterans, and economic development and then clearly explaining to the community what was done, how money was used, and how decisions were made. In short, represent, listen, legislate, provide oversight, and deliver real results for the district.
Yes, I believe it’s especially important at this level of government for representatives to have previous experience in government or public service. When you’re dealing with federal policy, budgets, and regulations that affect millions of people, knowing how government actually works – not just how it sounds in a speech – makes a big difference. My time as Mayor of Ceres, chair of StanCOG, and vice chair of the SRWA has taught me how to navigate complicated issues like water projects, public safety, transportation funding, and interagency partnerships, and how to move things from ideas to real results on the ground. That kind of experience means I understand how laws and regulations hit local communities, small businesses, and families in the real world, not just on paper. At the same time, I don’t believe in “career politicians” who sit in office forever and lose touch. The best representatives, in my view, are people who combine government experience with real-life experience as workers, business owners, parents, and community members, and who remember they’re there to serve, not to hold onto a title.
Over the next decade, I believe our greatest challenges as a nation will be maintaining economic stability, supporting families and public safety through smart policy, and keeping America strong and stable on the world stage. At home, families are being squeezed by the cost of housing, food, energy, and healthcare. If we don’t get serious about controlling inflation, reducing unnecessary regulations that drive up costs, protecting American agriculture, and creating good-paying jobs, the middle class will continue to struggle and more people will feel like the American Dream is slipping away.
I support term limits for Congress. A Member of Congress serves a two-year term in the House of Representatives, and right now there are no formal term limits. I believe that makes it even more important to remember that this seat belongs to the people. No one should turn this office into a lifetime career while families back home deal with the same problems decade after decade.
Yes, I believe compromise is necessary for policymaking, especially in a diverse country like ours. For me, compromise doesn’t mean abandoning my values or principle. it means sitting down at the table, listening, and finding common ground so we can actually solve problems. As Mayor, I’ve had to work with people who don’t always agree with me, Democrats, Republicans, independents, local agencies, and different levels of government, to get things done on water, public safety, roads, and homelessness. Projects like the surface water treatment plant, regional fire service, and major transportation investments only happened because people were willing to meet in the middle and focus on results. I’d take the same approach: stand firm on core beliefs like public safety, economic stability, and support for families, but be willing to negotiate on the details so we can pass laws that move the country forward. Gridlock and grandstanding don’t help families in the Central Valley practical, principled compromise does.
Congressman Tom McClintock

Congressman Doug Lamalfa

Hughson Mayor George Carr

Patterson Mayor Michael Clauzel

Waterford Mayor Charlie Goeken

Newman Mayor Casey Graham

Ceres Councilman Daniel Martinez

Patterson Councilman Carlos Roque

Turlock Councilwoman Erika Phillips

Fmr. CA Secretary of State Bill Jones

Fmr. Waterford Mayor Jose Aldaco

The Central Valley Leadership Round Table

Associated Builders and Contractors, Northern California

Norcal Water Jobs Liberty PAC
The accomplishment I’m most proud of is being elected Mayor of Ceres and helping lead our city into a real turnaround, one you can actually see and feel in the community. When I took office, Ceres was struggling with aging infrastructure, limited economic activity, and a sense that we were being left behind. I ran as a local kid who grew up here, coached here, and worked here, and I made a commitment to roll up my sleeves and fight for our town.

Since then, we’ve brought in new economic development that’s creating jobs and growing our tax base, which helps us fix roads and invest back into the community. We’ve focused on family-friendly events and new traditions, parades, night markets, community celebrations—that give people pride in calling Ceres home. I’m especially proud of supporting and expanding our Hometown Hero and veterans banner programs, honoring the men and women who have served our country and making their sacrifice visible on our streets.

At the same time, we made large, serious investments in public safety, both police and fire, because without safe neighborhoods, nothing else works. From backing regional fire partnerships to supporting law enforcement and code enforcement to clean up our streets and tackle homelessness, we’ve put public safety at the center of our progress.

Becoming mayor wasn’t just about winning an election; it was about helping turn Ceres into a safer, stronger city with more opportunity, more community, and more respect for the people who built it. That’s the work I’m proud to stand on.


You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Adam Gray Democratic Party $1,730,600 $915,025 $1,007,532 As of September 30, 2025
Vin Kruttiventi Republican Party $486,973 $328,252 $164,520 As of September 30, 2025
Javier Lopez Republican Party $142,117 $122,297 $19,820 As of September 30, 2025
Alberto Escobedo No party preference $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: California's 13th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
11/4/202510/28/202510/21/202510/14/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in California in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in California, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
California U.S. House All candidates 40-60 $1,740 3/6/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

2024

See also: California's 13th Congressional District election, 2024

California's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 13

Adam Gray defeated incumbent John Duarte in the general election for U.S. House California District 13 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Adam Gray
Adam Gray (D)
 
50.0
 
105,554
Image of John Duarte
John Duarte (R)
 
50.0
 
105,367

Total votes: 210,921
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 13

Incumbent John Duarte and Adam Gray advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 13 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John Duarte
John Duarte (R)
 
54.9
 
47,219
Image of Adam Gray
Adam Gray (D)
 
45.1
 
38,754

Total votes: 85,973
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2022

See also: California's 13th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 13

John Duarte defeated Adam Gray in the general election for U.S. House California District 13 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John Duarte
John Duarte (R) Candidate Connection
 
50.2
 
67,060
Image of Adam Gray
Adam Gray (D)
 
49.8
 
66,496

Total votes: 133,556
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 13

John Duarte and Adam Gray defeated Phil Arballo, David Giglio, and Diego Martinez in the primary for U.S. House California District 13 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John Duarte
John Duarte (R) Candidate Connection
 
34.2
 
26,163
Image of Adam Gray
Adam Gray (D)
 
31.1
 
23,784
Image of Phil Arballo
Phil Arballo (D)
 
17.1
 
13,099
Image of David Giglio
David Giglio (R) Candidate Connection
 
14.8
 
11,320
Image of Diego Martinez
Diego Martinez (R)
 
2.7
 
2,026

Total votes: 76,392
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: California's 13th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 13

Incumbent Barbara Lee defeated Nikka Piterman in the general election for U.S. House California District 13 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee (D)
 
90.4
 
327,863
Image of Nikka Piterman
Nikka Piterman (R) Candidate Connection
 
9.6
 
34,955

Total votes: 362,818
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 13

Incumbent Barbara Lee and Nikka Piterman advanced from the primary for U.S. House California District 13 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee (D)
 
92.6
 
230,482
Image of Nikka Piterman
Nikka Piterman (R) Candidate Connection
 
7.4
 
18,553

Total votes: 249,035
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.



District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

California 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Ami Bera (D)
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
Adam Gray (D)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Ro Khanna (D)
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
Jim Costa (D)
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
Raul Ruiz (D)
District 26
District 27
District 28
Judy Chu (D)
District 29
Luz Rivas (D)
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
Ted Lieu (D)
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
Young Kim (R)
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
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District 47
Dave Min (D)
District 48
District 49
District 50
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District 52
Democratic Party (45)
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