Congressional rematch heats up in North Valley as Duarte, Gray debate

MODESTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With just nine days until polls close, voters will decide on a razor-thin race -- a rematch -- for Congress in the North Valley.

Republican incumbent John Duarte and Democrat Adam Gray are facing off for the second time. The two clashed in a recent Modesto debate.

"I am the lowest-ranked Republican in Congress," Duarte said. "I do stand against the extremes of both parties."

"The record is what matters, not the rhetoric," Gray said.

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Gray is trying to portray Duarte as a staunch conservative who voted to strip women of reproductive rights. But Duarte says he is a moderate who wants women to have choices and freedoms.

"Democrats say that you voted against protecting those choices in the Born Alive Protection Act. So, what is your position?" Action News asked Duarte.

"It's born alive. There's nothing more I can say about it. I'm pro-choice," he told Action News after the debate.

Central Valley issues like water and agriculture are also becoming critical to both parties as Republicans try to maintain control of the House and Democrats try to take it back.

Gray is running on his ten-year record in Sacramento. He wants greater federal investment in water infrastructure and energy to reduce costs.

"We've got to be serious about finding our transition to a clean energy world," Gray said. "It's an issue that's too critical to agriculture to our communities (and) to our children and grandchildren."

Duarte says costs could come down by cutting taxes.

"We've raised gas taxes too much," Duarte said. "We're not building the freeway lanes (that) people deserve to find a better job. We're chasing companies out of California."

The North Valley race could play an outsized role in the halls of Congress.

Democrats must pick up four seats to gain control of the House. The 13th District could be one of them. Democrat Gray lost by only 564 votes two years ago.

"I don't need to tell people how important this Congressional seat is to the entire country," Gray said.

Recent models and polls show the race is a dead heat even two years later. It could all come down to who turns out to vote in the district.

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