Adam Gray

Adam Gray
Born	Adam Channing Gray 23 09, 1977
Birthplace	Merced, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	U.S. Representative for California's 13th congressional district
Education	University of California, Santa Barbara (BA)
Children	1
Website	[adamgrayforcongress.com Official site]

Adam Channing Gray (born September 23, 1977) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 13th congressional district since January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Gray represents a sprawling district in California's San Joaquin Valley that encompasses all of Merced County and portions of Madera, Stanislaus, Fresno, and San Joaquin counties. Born and raised in Merced, Gray spent a decade in the California State Assembly, representing the 21st district from 2012 to 2022, before pursuing federal office. His path to Congress was defined by razor-thin margins: he lost his first bid for the 13th district in 2022 by only a few hundred votes to Republican John Duarte, then mounted a successful rematch campaign in 2024, winning by a similarly narrow margin. In Congress, Gray serves as the whip of the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of moderate and conservative Democrats. His political career has been shaped by the agricultural economy and water issues central to the San Joaquin Valley, and he has been identified as one of the more centrist Democrats in the California legislature and in Congress.

Early Life

Adam Channing Gray was born on September 23, 1977, in Merced, California, a city in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, and its economy, water politics, and demographic composition have profoundly influenced the political landscape in which Gray was raised and would later build his career. Merced County, where Gray grew up, is a predominantly rural area with a diverse population and significant economic challenges, including high unemployment rates and poverty levels that consistently rank among the highest in California.

Gray's upbringing in Merced rooted him in the community he would go on to represent for more than a decade at the state level and subsequently in Congress. Details about his family background and childhood beyond his birthplace and hometown are limited in publicly available sources.

Education

Gray attended Merced College, a community college in his hometown, before transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. His educational path through the community college system to a University of California campus reflected a trajectory common to many students in the Central Valley, where community colleges serve as important gateways to four-year universities.

Career

California State Assembly (2012–2022)

Gray entered electoral politics in 2012, running for the California State Assembly in the 21st district, which had been redrawn following the 2010 census and redistricting process. The district encompassed all of Merced County and portions of Stanislaus County. The previous representative of the area, Republican Bill Berryhill, had been redistricted out of the seat.

Gray won the 2012 general election and took office on December 3, 2012. He was subsequently reelected multiple times, serving in the Assembly for a full decade until December 5, 2022, when he was succeeded by Esmeralda Soria following redistricting.

During his tenure in the California State Assembly, Gray carved out a reputation as a moderate Democrat, particularly on issues related to agriculture, water policy, and economic development — matters of central importance to the San Joaquin Valley communities he represented. His legislative record, as tracked by CalMatters and Vote Smart, reflected a centrist orientation within the Democratic caucus, with positions that sometimes diverged from the party's more progressive wing on business regulation and fiscal issues.

Tesla Factory Recruitment Efforts

One notable episode during Gray's Assembly tenure involved his efforts to recruit Tesla Motors to build a large manufacturing facility in the San Joaquin Valley. In 2014, Gray made the case for locating a proposed Tesla battery factory — described as potentially encompassing up to 10 million square feet — in the community of Patterson in Stanislaus County, part of his Assembly district. The effort to attract the Tesla facility highlighted Gray's focus on bringing jobs and economic investment to the Central Valley, a region that has long struggled with high unemployment and economic underperformance relative to coastal California. Though Tesla ultimately chose Nevada for its Gigafactory, Gray's advocacy drew attention to the Valley's potential as a site for large-scale manufacturing.

Calderon Investigation Testimony

In 2013, Gray was called to testify in connection with an investigation involving then-state Senator Ron Calderon, who was under federal investigation for corruption. Gray testified before investigators looking into the matter, though he was not accused of wrongdoing. The Calderon investigation was a significant political event in Sacramento during that period, and Gray's involvement as a witness underscored the interconnected nature of legislative politics in the state capital.

Agricultural and Water Policy

Representing a district in one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the United States, Gray was closely involved with issues relating to water policy and agricultural economics throughout his Assembly tenure. The San Joaquin Valley's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, and water allocation — particularly during California's recurring droughts — is among the most contentious policy areas in the state. Gray's positions on water policy tended to align with the interests of Central Valley agricultural producers, who have long sought greater water allocations from the state's complex water distribution system.

2022 Congressional Campaign

Following a decade in the California State Assembly, Gray announced his candidacy for California's 13th congressional district in the 2022 election cycle. The district, newly redrawn after the 2020 census, was centered in the San Joaquin Valley and was considered one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. The district's composition — with a significant Latino population and an agricultural economic base — made it a battleground between the two major parties.

Gray faced Republican John Duarte, a farmer and nursery owner, in the general election. The race proved to be extraordinarily close. The New York Times covered the contest as one of several pivotal California races that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives. After a prolonged vote count, Duarte was declared the winner by a margin of only a few hundred votes — one of the narrowest congressional margins in the nation that cycle.

The defeat was a significant setback for Gray and for national Democrats, who had hoped to capture the seat as part of their efforts to maintain control of the House. However, the narrow margin suggested the district remained highly competitive and set the stage for a potential rematch.

2024 Congressional Campaign and Election

Gray launched a rematch campaign against the incumbent Duarte in the 2024 election cycle. His candidacy was closely watched by national political observers, as the 13th district was again identified as one of the most competitive House races in the country. Gray's campaign focused on issues relevant to the San Joaquin Valley, including agricultural policy, water allocation, and economic opportunity.

The 2024 primary election was held under California's top-two primary system, in which all candidates regardless of party affiliation compete in a single primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election. Results of the primary were certified by the California Secretary of State.

In the November 2024 general election, Gray and Duarte again faced off in a contest that came down to the wire. The vote count extended well beyond Election Day, as is common in California due to the state's extensive mail-in voting system. KCRA, a Sacramento television station, reported on the close race as the count continued in the weeks following the election.

On December 3, 2024, Politico reported that Gray had won the race, flipping the seat back to the Democrats. The margin of victory was again extraordinarily narrow, mirroring the close result of the 2022 contest but with the outcome reversed. Gray's victory was part of a broader set of competitive House races across the country that shaped the partisan composition of the 119th United States Congress.

The Sacramento Bee also covered the race extensively, noting its significance in the context of California and national politics.

U.S. House of Representatives (2025–present)

Gray took office as the U.S. representative for California's 13th congressional district on January 3, 2025, succeeding John Duarte. His district encompasses a large swath of the San Joaquin Valley, including all of Merced County and parts of Madera, Stanislaus, Fresno, and San Joaquin counties. It is a geographically expansive, predominantly agricultural district with a diverse population.

Upon entering Congress, Gray became the whip of the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of moderate and fiscally conservative House Democrats. The Blue Dog Coalition has historically drawn its membership from Democrats representing competitive or traditionally conservative-leaning districts, and Gray's affiliation with the group is consistent with his centrist political positioning throughout his career. The role of whip within the coalition involves coordinating members and working to maintain party unity on key votes, particularly on fiscal and economic issues.

As a freshman member representing one of the most competitive districts in the country, Gray's votes and policy positions in the 119th Congress have been subject to significant scrutiny from both national party organizations and local constituents. His district's agricultural economy and water needs are expected to be central to his legislative priorities in Congress, as they were during his decade in the California State Assembly.

Personal Life

Gray has one child. He has maintained his residence in the Merced area throughout his political career, consistent with his representation of the Central Valley in both the state legislature and Congress. Beyond these publicly documented facts, Gray has maintained a relatively private personal life, and limited information about his family is available in public sources.

Recognition

Gray's two races for California's 13th congressional district in 2022 and 2024 drew significant national media attention due to their extraordinarily narrow margins. The 2022 race, which Gray lost by only a few hundred votes, and the 2024 rematch, which he won by a similarly slim margin, were covered by major national outlets including the New York Times and Politico as among the closest and most consequential congressional contests in the nation.

His selection as whip of the Blue Dog Coalition upon entering Congress in 2025 was a notable recognition of his standing among moderate Democrats, particularly given his status as a freshman member of the House.

During his tenure in the California State Assembly, Gray's legislative record was tracked by CalMatters, a nonpartisan California news organization, which profiled his voting record and policy positions as part of its legislator tracker project. Vote Smart, a nonpartisan organization that compiles information on elected officials, also maintained a profile on Gray throughout his career in public office.