Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln is expected to announce his run for Congress in the 2024 election, launching a challenge to three-term Rep. Josh Harder (D–Tracy).
The move by Lincoln, who would be up for re-election as Mayor next year, sets off a hard scrabble to succeed him.
Driving the news: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to headline a fundraiser in support of Lincoln’s still-rumored bid on Thursday in Stockton.
- The move to challenge Harder, who initially captured a Stanislaus County-anchored seat in 2018 during the Blue Wave, likely took root shortly after the Independence Day holiday, with “kevinlincolnforcongress.com” being registered on July 8.
- For his part, Harder relocated to the Stockton-anchored, 9th Congressional District amid redistricting and the retirement of longtime Rep. Jerry McNerney (D–Stockton) in 2022.
- Lincoln has already demonstrated an uncanny knack for knocking off high-profile Democrats. In 2020, he managed to oust the city’s most well-known – albeit controversial – Mayor, Michael Tubbs.
Elsewhere: San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti, who unsuccessfully challenged Harder in 2022, is now openly prepping a bid to succeed Lincoln as Mayor of Stockton.
- Patti told north Valley media outlets that he has “been asked to seriously consider running for Mayor.”
