To win California’s 9th congressional seat, it’ll take more than partisan politics | Opinion

The race for the 9th Congressional District seat is being closely watched because it could be one in a handful of hotly contested elections in California that decides whether Democrats or Republicans control the House of Representatives.

But embracing or demonizing former President Donald Trump won’t win this race. It must be won at the local level.

The district contains a portion of south Sacramento County, including Galt, as well as part of Contra Costa County and most of San Joaquin County, including all of Stockton.

There are more Democrats registered than Republicans, but that doesn’t make it a liberal hotbed.

Since District 9 is purple, it takes someone with a bipartisan approach who is focused on local issues. Josh Harder has been that leader and should continue to be for District 9. He has our endorsement.

The 38-year-old has represented the Central Valley in Congress since 2019. He entered the House by defeating a Republican incumbent from a district containing Harder’s hometown of Turlock. Harder was re-elected to Congress in 2020 and 2022.

During his tenure in Washington, Harder has created a body of work that shows his commitment to local California issues.

The port of Stockton is one of the busiest inland ports in California and its productivity is a main driver to the city’s success. Harder understands its impact and has done his part in uplifting it.

One of the projects that he has supported has cut pollution coming from every boat docking at the port. He’s also been behind $10 million worth of infrastructure improvements added to the port, helping to expand exports.

Three issues top the list of importance Harder: Healthcare, water access and cost of living.

Harder praises the work Democrats have done to cap the price of insulin, which he believes has helped a significant portion of his constituents who have diabetes.

One-third of the jobs in the district are in the agriculture sector, so water access, inflation and labor rights are undoubtedly on the minds of many voters this November.

Again, this race has the potential to be tightly contested.

Republican Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln is proving to be a formidable opponent to Harder.

Lincoln has emphasized economic development, affordability and a bipartisan approach to governance in his campaign. But he also supports abortion rights being settled state by state. As a member of a party seeking to limit abortion rights, there simply is no hiding his allegiances. The same holds true for Harder, who on balance, deserves another term.

Currently, Democrats hold 211 House seats. The Republicans lead with 220. There are four vacancies with three of them previously held by a Democrat. Harder keeping this seat will prove to be integral in flipping the house blue, as they will need to flip four seats nationwide to get to the magic number 218 and take control of the House.

And to add to Harder’s record of bipartisan support, in the 2022 race for California Governor, Gavin Newsom lost the 9th district by five points. Yet Harder won it by 10.

Harder cares about the people in his district because he understands when it comes to getting the job done, there’s no blue or red way.

This story was originally published October 4, 2024 at 4:45 PM.