With days left until the crucial 2024 election, candidates in California’s razor-thin 13th Congressional District are aiming to move voters to their side.

Rachel Livinal

The Merced FOCUS

At a debate held Friday at the Modesto State Theatre, Republican Rep. John Duarte announced he had earlier in the day introduced a new proposal offering comprehensive immigration reform.

It was among the key issues highlighting the lively 90-minute debate against Democrat Adam Gray. Audience members held popcorn as they took their seats in the nearly packed State Theatre.

Although debate sponsors urged audience members to keep their noise to a minimum throughout the night, the debate elicited emotive responses from the crowd, resulting in applause, hoots, and the occasional groan from candidates as they took in each others’ responses to questions from the moderators.

The debate was sponsored by the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, Capital Public Radio, KVPR, The Maddy Institute and UC Merced Center for Analytical and Political Engagement.

It is the only debate both candidates have participated in this election cycle. Duarte and Gray are scheduled to have another debate Friday, Oct. 31 at KXTL Fox 40 in Sacramento.

What’s in the Bill?

The debate was largely respectful, with both candidates shaking hands at the beginning and end of the event. One point of contention came when Duarte spoke about his new legislation.

The Border Security and Immigration Reform Act would provide a pathway to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants. But it also calls for the strengthening of the U.S.-Mexico border.

While Duarte said his bill has elements that neither party will like, he believes a solution is long overdue.

“I’m pushing the candidates running for president, I am pushing my colleagues in Congress to get on board, make the compromises we all need, and get across the line an immigration bill,” Duarte said.

He added, “If this bill would have been passed, five, 10, 15 years ago, America would be a safer, stronger country today.”

Duarte’s legislation would provide temporary protected status to immigrants under the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. It would also benefit immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for five years without commiting a crime, and undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens or have children who are citizens.

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The legislation would require the Government Accountability Office to certify within five years the border is secure with a 90% detection and apprehension rate of those crossing it.

If both actions are upheld within that time period, Duarte proposes those provisional visas would become green cards. The bill piggybacks off of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was signed in 1986 and granted green cards to about 2.7 million immigrants.

The filing period for the reform and control act ended in 1998.

But Gray pushed back, questioning the timing of Duarte’s bill, and the fact that in recent months, Republicans in the Senate blocked efforts to pass a bipartisan border security bill.

“This is exactly the lack of seriousness I’m talking about. We don’t need immigration reform bills at election time, we need people to sit down and do the tough work,” Gray said.

Duarte’s immigration reform plan also comes at a time when many Republicans have embraced messaging by former President Donald Trump, who has trumpeted his plan to go engage in mass deportations of immigrants, if he’s reelected.

Positions on Abortion

Abortion also took center stage during Friday’s debate. It’s a topic nationally as reproductive justice advocates push for women’s freedoms, in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Duarte and Gray tried to position themselves as candidates who are sensitive to the needs of women. Duarte highlighted his support of legislation that supported transportation for pregnant military women to travel to a state that allowed an abortion if they were stationed in one that didn’t allow it.

He also defended his support of the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which requires healthcare providers to treat an infant born alive from an attempted abortion with the same care as one intentionally delivered.

“Born alive doesn’t mean abortion to me,” Duarte said. “I’ve been pro-choice. I’m going to stay pro-choice.”

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Gray vowed support for the codifying of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

He was quick to point out Duarte’s endorsement by “Californians for Life,” an organization that promotes anti-abortion claims. Duarte is endorsed by the California Pro-Life Council.

“(Duarte) is somebody who will say anything at election time to get elected in a district that he knows a majority of his constituents want to have those freedoms protected,” Gray said.

Many Local Officials in Audience

The debate attracted a room full of supporters for both candidates. That included some elected officials.

Priya Lakireddy, a Merced area school board member who has already voted for Gray, said reproductive freedoms are important to her as a mother.

“I really want somebody who can protect women’s rights,” she said. “I have two daughters. So I believe in the right of the woman to choose whatever she chooses.”

In the 2022 midterm elections, Gray lost by 564 votes to Duarte.

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On Friday, Gray attacked Duarte by claiming he did not follow through with his promises during his time in office. Young people are largely seen as a deciding voting bloc in this race, because many of them don’t vote but may be excited about the presidential election and could make a difference.

But Madera City Councilmember Cecilia Gallegos, who was in the audience, supports the Republican, and said she had already voted for Duarte.

“He’s done an awesome job for the first two years,” Gallegos said. “Everybody sit back, give him two more and you’re going to see wonderful things come our way.”

About the Author

Rachel Livinal is the Higher Education Reporter for The Merced Focus.