The California 11th District Election: The Race for the Future

Your guide to the California Congressional District 13 race: John Duarte vs. Adam Gray

The California 13th is the only CD where no Democrat has won in over a decade, and the only one where no Republican has won in over a quarter century.

By the time the dust had settled, Democrat John Duarte had won his party’s nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Adam Gray, with incumbent Rep. Xavier Becerra running for governor and Republican candidate Bruce Bratman for lieutenant governor.

A year ago, it would have been impossible to imagine that Duarte would be favored to win – a former San Francisco mayor, he’s running essentially on the strength of his progressive bona fides. But this year, he’s running with the endorsement of Bay area liberal groups, and he’s the subject of a major fundraising push by a new PAC, Fight for the Future.

Gray doesn’t have any money to fight back. He’s in a fundraising pit, fighting off a challenge from conservative activist Josh Orman, and while he’s been endorsed by local super PACs, he’s not receiving major contributions from any outside groups.

This November, California voters will have a chance to send a new generation of progressive leaders to Congress, and the contest in 11th District will determine which candidates will represent this region and nation with more passion and strength than ever before. And while it’s early, it’s clear which path voters will take.

California’s 11th is a race without a party label, a district for which we’ve had no elected Democrat since 2006, and arguably a more difficult one to explain than in the nation’s 16th Congressional District. But the stakes are equally high and the candidates are equally determined.

Democrat John Duarte is the candidate of the moment and one of the most progressive politicians in the nation. He’s running on a platform of progressive policy that would make the 11th one of the most pro-business districts in the country. He’s endorsed by the Sunrise Movement, and he’s drawn in nearly $400,000 in small contributions this cycle – far more than any other candidate. The majority of his donations came from out of state, and he’s been endorsed by groups such as the ACLU and the Indivisible group.

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