Republican flips Northern California congressional seat

Correction: John Duarte is projected to win the race in California’s 13th Congressional District.

Republican nominee John Duarte is projected to win the race in California’s 13th Congressional District, beating his Democratic opponent, state Assemblyman Adam Gray.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:06 p.m. Friday.

Duarte, a farmer and businessman, will take over a seat long held by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who was forced to run in the 12th District due to the state’s redistricting. 

The district has not elected a Republican since 1974, and Democratic voters outnumber Republicans 42 percent to 24 percent, with more than 21 percent identifying with no party preference. 

Despite the political party makeup, the race was considered to be one of the more competitive in the country this year, and Duarte’s win is one of several seats key to Republicans gaining control of the House.

Duarte, who runs a family-owned nursery in a largely agricultural area of the state, became known in conservative circles for taking on the federal government over water regulations.