Former Stockton mayor launches rematch bid against Rep. Josh Harder in 2026 congressional race
Lincoln, a Republican who unseated former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs in 2021, lost to Harder in last year's congressional race by fewer than 4 percentage points.
District 9 encompasses a large portion of the San Joaquin Valley, including most of San Joaquin County and parts of Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties. The district includes the cities of Stockton, Tracy, Manteca, Lodi, Ripon, Escalon and Mountain House, as well as several census-designated places such as French Camp.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting the District 9 seat, along with 25 other Democratic-held seats. The goal is for Republicans to flip those seats in the 2026 midterm election to grow the House majority.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed Harder's seat as one of the most vulnerable in the midterm election after President Donald Trump's nearly 2-point win in the district last year.
Lincoln, a former military police officer and pastor, joins two other Republicans running for the District 9 seat: businessman Jim Shoemaker, who lost to Jerry McNerney in the 2024 race for California's 5th State Senate District, and athletic coach John McBride, who lost to Harder in last year's congressional race.
"I'm honored to announce my campaign for Congress," Lincoln wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. "As a Marine, I learned the value of service and sacrifice. As mayor, I challenged the status quo and fought to make our communities safer, more affordable and more prosperous."
Harder's campaign responded to Lincoln's announcement the same day.
"Kevin Lincoln is a failed mayor and serial candidate who allowed crime and homelessness to soar in Stockton, all while spending millions on perks for himself and aligning with Washington extremists to rip health care away from Valley families," Harder's campaign said.
While serving as mayor, Lincoln said crime and homelessness were two of his top priorities. During his final State of the City address in 2024, he said Stockton saw a 1.2% decrease in violent crimes and an 8% drop in homicides in 2023. He also said the city had invested significantly in housing and services for the homeless, including 10 emergency shelter projects, nine permanent supportive housing projects and four affordable housing projects.
'This is not how you treat people': Advocates criticize Stockton homeless encampment sweep
The 2022 Point-in-Time count found that there were 893 people living on the streets of Stockton. An updated count in 2024 found that number had risen to 2,996.
Voters will head to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, for the District 9 election. The primary takes place on June 2, with the two candidates receiving the most votes advancing to the general election.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: 2026 election: Republican Kevin Lincoln to challenge Josh Harder
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