Former Stockton, California Mayor Kevin Lincoln on Tuesday will launch another run for Democratic Rep. Josh Harder’s seat in the state’s Central Valley, as Republicans work to capitalize on the district’s recent rightward shift.
Lincoln, a Republican who unseated prominent Democrat Michael Tubbs in an upset in Stockton’s 2021 mayoral race, lost to Harder in last year’s House contest by less than 4 percentage points.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting the seat, after President Donald Trump carried the district last year by nearly 2 percentage points.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed Harder’s seat among the most vulnerable in 2026 — even with the Democrat’s deep fundraising pockets.
NRCC Spokesperson Christian Martinez said that the committee is “very excited” about the GOP’s gains in the district, describing the area’s voters as “pivotal” to Trump’s 2024 presidential victory.
Lincoln, a former Marine and pastor, joins businessperson Jim Shoemaker and John McBride, an athletic coach and 2024 primary candidate, among Republicans running for the seat.
