In a close race for California’s District 9 congressional seat, incumbent U.S. Rep. Josh Harder holds a narrow lead over Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln. With the majority of votes counted across San Joaquin, Contra Costa, and Stanislaus counties, Harder, a Democrat, currently has 85,528 votes (51.2%), while Lincoln, a Republican, trails with 81,504 votes (48.8%).
The bulk of Harder’s lead comes from San Joaquin County, where he has 51.6% of the vote—5,233 more votes than Lincoln. Lincoln, who Stockton voters elected as mayor in 2020, has seen stronger support in the smaller portions of Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties.
Harder, first elected to Congress in 2018 after defeating Republican Jeff Denham, won reelection twice before facing Lincoln this year. In 2022, he defeated San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti, who ran for Stockton mayor in this election but is currently behind former councilmember Christina Fugazi.
As Stockton’s mayor, Lincoln gained attention after defeating then-Mayor Michael Tubbs, a Democrat known for implementing universal basic income programs.
