Rep. Josh Harder was leading challenger Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln Wednesday in the District 9 U.S. Congressional race, unofficial results show.
Harder (D-Tracy), who mingled with supporters at a Democratic watch party at Valley Brew in midtown Stockton, expressed confidence as he watched the returns.
“The early vote could not be more encouraging for our campaign,” Harder said. “We are seeing a surge in momentum for the exact same issues that we have been fighting for since Day 1.”
Lincoln kicked off Election Day by heading to Manlio Silva Elementary School with his family around 1 p.m. to cast their votes for the 2024 election.
Harder has been in Congress since 2019, moving to District 9 in the last election cycle when longtime Stockton-area congressman Jerry McNerney retired. He defeated San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti in 2022.
Lincoln defeated incumbent Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs in 2020 and promised to run for a second term before opting to challenge Harder. He made the announcement to run for Congress in July 2023. During the previous February, Lincoln told Stocktonia News Service that reelection to mayor had long been on his mind. He said that his plans for a second term in Stockton’s top job began as soon as he closed out his 2020 campaign, opening up a 2024 campaign committee soon after he started his tenure as mayor and beginning fundraising efforts in the fourth quarter of last year.