The California Farm Bureau has endorsed Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced) in his bid for reelection in the 13th Congressional District.
The CFB endorsed Republican incumbent John Duarte in 2024 – a race that Gray won by a mere 187 votes after losing by a slim 564-vote margin to Duarte two years earlier.
“No one works harder to deliver for Central Valley families than Adam Gray,” said Shannon Douglas, president of the CFB. “When results matter, Adam is the one who puts politics aside and makes sure that farmers and ranchers benefit from the decisions happening in Washington, D.C.”
The California Farm Bureau is a leading voice in the state’s powerful agricultural sector.
“I’m proud to represent one of the world’s largest agricultural regions – a community made up of farmers, ranchers, dairymen, and their families,” said Gray, who served 10 years in the state Assembly before running for Congress. “These are the hardworking people who feed our country and yet too often are treated as an afterthought in Washington. I’m working to make sure their voices are heard, and I’m grateful to have the support and partnership of the California Farm Bureau as I continue to work for the Valley.”
Gray was one of seven Democrats to advance the bipartisan farm bill – The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 – through the House Agriculture Committee. He worked to ensure fair market value of livestock for ranchers, eliminate red tape around access to water, and authorize new projects to expand water infrastructure across the Central Valley. He also pushed back against President Trump’s tariffs, which he called “reckless,” that hurt agricultural trade partners.
“Making sure our farmers can succeed and get ahead is personal for me,” said Gray. “I was raised working in my family's dairy supply business. I built a record working across the aisle to deliver real wins for our agricultural community, from water access to funding farming technology. I’m proud to have led on a number of bipartisan bills that strengthen our farms and ensure farmers have the resources, support, and certainty they need to continue feeding the country.”
Gray also reintroduced the DIGNITY Act, an immigration reform bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, grants targeted protection to specific
undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S., invests in border security infrastructure, mandates accountability from ICE, and overhauls visa and asylum systems to relieve the backlog.
Gray’s Republican opponents in the race for the 13th Congressional District are former Stockton mayor Kevin Lincoln and businessman Vin Kruttiventi. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball all show Gray with an advantage in a district that leans Republican.
