The Winner
If you live in California’s 9th Congressional District, Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) will represent you for a fifth term. Harder defeated Republican John McBride, and the Associated Press called the race Tuesday night, Nov. 3.
With about 57% of the expected vote counted, Harder led about 66% to 34%, according to NBC News results. California is still counting ballots, and the results stay unofficial until the state certifies them.
The Race
John McBride), a longtime athletic performance coach from Lodi, finished second in the June 2 top-two primary with about 23% of the vote to Harder’s 61%. McBride campaigned as a political outsider and had not conceded on election night.
Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Likely Democratic, according to Ballotpedia. Cook moved the seat from Lean Democratic after Proposition 50 redrew it. Harder won by less than four points in 2024 under the old lines, and Cook says the new district overlaps with about 70% of the old one.
The redrawn district covers parts of San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties, including Antioch, Pittsburg and portions of Stockton and Tracy, The Record reported. About 774,100 people live there, the median age is about 36 and the typical household earns about $92,000 a year.
About 23% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree. The unemployment rate is about 7.6%, and about 13% of residents live below the poverty line.
What’s Next
Harder’s fifth term begins Jan. 3, 2027, when Democrats take control of the House. “The country’s not on the right track. Costs are too high. The health care system’s broken,” Harder told Stocktonia on election night.
He has campaigned on lowering costs for families, including rising PG&E utility rates, and on opposing the proposed Delta Tunnel.
---
AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article