Failed Democratic congressional candidate Adam Gray launched another bid Wednesday to unseat Republican Rep. John Duarte of California in 2024, according to an announcement video.
Gray, a former state lawmaker, ran against Duarte in the 2022 midterms and narrowly lost the seat to represent California’s 13th congressional district by 0.4 points.
In his announcement video, Gray criticized Duarte for supporting entitlement reform and pro-life policies, and pledged to put his constituents first.
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“For ten years in the State Assembly, I put our community and our needs above partisan politics. I didn’t take the easy path and I have the scars to prove it. I know what independence looks like, and I know that party loyalists are bad for the valley,” said Gray. “We deserve better. I’ll always put the Central Valley first. It’s not an empty promise, it’s something I have proven every day and it’s why I’m running for Congress.”
Gray touted his work in the state legislature where he advocated for the “first class of future doctors” at the University of California Merced, state funding for flood control and protecting water rights for farmers, he said in the video.
Republicans believed Duarte had a good chance at winning the seat last year due to recent redistricting. Duarte’s seat is now on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s 2024 target list of 33 potentially competitive races that are either held by the GOP or are open in battleground districts across the country.
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The Republican congressman announced his run for reelection in March, and there are already four Democrats who are running to unseat him, according to Ballotpedia.
“Listen, there’s a reason you haven’t seen much of John Duarte, because he went to Washington. It didn’t take him long to become part of the problem,” said Gray.
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