Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln Announces Challenge to Rep. Josh Harder

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, a Republican who beat the Democratic incumbent to become Stockton’s mayor in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, has just announced his challenge to Rep. Josh Harder in the 9th Congressional District.

In a Globe interview Tuesday, Lincoln stressed the importance of bipartisanship while leading Stockton, a city of 320,804 residents, while “Harder has just made life harder for the people in the San Joaquin Valley.”

It’s quite Reaganesque: In the 1980 debate between former California governor Ronald Reagan and incumbent President Jimmy Carter, Reagan asks, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”

Lincoln says the 9th Congressional District, home to the San Joaquin Valley, is a huge agricultural community, and its voters are much more centrist, yet Josh Harder votes 95% of the time along party lines, and is not doing the San Joaquin Valley any service. “Josh Harder’s party line voting isn’t helping. It’s hurting. Josh Harder’s votes for inflationary spending make housing, gas, and groceries more expensive, while his support for Joe Biden’s failed economic policies leaves Valley residents behind,” Lincoln said.

“Harder voted to raise taxes on farmers,” Lincoln said. “This is about the right representation for the Valley.”

A third generation Stocktonian, Lincoln told the Globe he’s lived a life of service. “I was a pastor for 7 years and a non-profit leader. I was in the Marines.”

“The issues in the Valley are not red and blue, but red, white and blue: the price of rent, housing costs, and people who want to go to the park without being confronted,” he added. “I want economic opportunity for future generations – and opportunity for youths.”

Lincoln described the $4 million Stockton allocated to get the city’s youth work training and then jobs. “Some of them even were hired by the city,” he said.

He said some of his goals as Mayor were to reduce crime, violent crimes and homelessness. Injury shootings were reduced 22%, homelessness was reduced 3% and homicides were reduced 2%. Lincoln attributed it to bipartisanship/non-partisanship, and “working with anybody willing to work with me.”

Additionally, “we have balanced our budgets and attracted new business,” and what he described as “building bridges across party lines top unify the city.”

“The fact is that no matter how much progress we make as a community, Washington’s culture of partisanship, blame, and neglect continues to make life harder for Stockton and Valley residents,” Lincoln said. “Let me be clear that I believe both parties share responsibility for Washington’s dysfunction.”

“I’m running for Congress because I refuse to stand by any longer while Washington neglects our communities. I’m taking our message from the streets of Stockton to the steps of Congress. We will to fight for real change that puts the people of the Valley first. Consensus isn’t easy, but it’s how you get things done for the people.”

California’s 9th congressional district is located between the Sacramento Valley, Gold Country, and the San Joaquin Valley. It encompasses most of San Joaquin County, and parts of Contra Costa and Stanislaus Counties. Despite voting for Democrats for decades, 9th Congressional District voters supported Republican Larry Elder during the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom, and for Republican Brian Dahle over Gov. Newsom in the 2022 gubernatorial election.