Former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln has announced he is looking for a rematch against U.S. Rep. Josh Harder in California’s Ninth Congressional District.
Lincoln, a Republican, will seek to unseat Harder (D-Tracy). Last year, Harder defeated Lincoln by about 9,000 votes.
District 9 encompasses most of San Joaquin County and parts of Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties. Lathrop is not in the 9th District, and is part of the 13th District.
Lincoln is a third-generation Stocktonian who left to join the Marines and later worked in Silicon Valley. In 2013, he returned to Stockton as a pastor and became mayor in 2020, preceding current Mayor Christina Fugazi.
“I’m honored to announce my campaign for Congress,” Lincoln wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “As a Marine, I learned the value of service and sacrifice. As Mayor, I challenged the status quo and fought to make our communities safer, more affordable, and more prosperous.”
Harder’s office was quick to respond to Lincoln’s announcement.
“Kevin Lincoln is a failed mayor and serial candidate who allowed crime and homelessness to soar in Stockton,” Kevin Winslow, a spokesperson for Harder, said in a statement on Tuesday. “All while spending millions on perks for himself and aligning with Washington extremists to rip health care away from Valley families.”
During his time as mayor, Lincoln focused on reducing homelessness and crime. At his 2024 State of the City address, he said Stockton had broken ground on its first Homeless Navigation Center and had significantly invested in homeless shelters, housing and services. He then stated there had been a 1.2% decrease in violent crimes in 2023, Stocktonia reported.
A press release from the Reproductive Freedom for All Movement, also shared Tuesday, condemned Lincoln’s campaign, calling him an “anti-abortion” and “MAGA loyalist.”
“Electing Kevin Lincoln will mean more votes for Donald Trump’s agenda to gut funding for Medicaid, take away access to care for millions, and ultimately ban abortion in California and nationwide,” Reproductive Freedom for All Chief Campaigns & Advocacy Officer Elizabeth Schoetz said.
In a 2024 interview with television station KCRA, Lincoln said he was “Not going to Washington to support a federal abortion ban.”
In the same interview, Lincoln spoke to Trump’s mass deportation plan. He said, “If you’re in this country illegally, then you shouldn’t be here.” As an alternative, he said illegal immigrants should go back to their own country and come back the correct way.
The 2026 U.S. United States House of Representatives elections will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. The primary is on June 2 of that year, and the top two vote getters go to the general election. According to Ballotpedia, Harder and Lincoln will have company in the race from Republicans John McBride and Jom Shoemaker, both of whom have previously run for the seat.
Upon hearing about Lincoln’s announcement, Dwight Williams, former chairman of the San Joaquin County Republican Party, simply said, “I’m excited he’s running.”
