Rep. Adam Gray suddenly became one of Congress’ most-watched members Wednesday when he broke ranks with House Democrats by siding with Republicans to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.

Joining only five other House Democrats in the landmark vote, Gray now faces the ire of some in his party for giving up a hard-fought stand for an extension of health care credits.

Others in his district spanning Merced and Stanislaus counties are praising his willingness to rise above party politics.

“It was a big gamble, politically,” said David Colnic, a Stanislaus State political science professor, noting that party membership is almost evenly split in Gray’s 13th District. The first-year Merced Democrat won his seat last year by a mere 187 votes, although last week’s success of Proposition 50 in California will make Gray’s district a bit more blue.

Will Gray’s controversial vote to end the shutdown pick up enough respect from Republicans to overcome a loss of trust among some Democrats, particularly in next year’s House election?

“I’m skeptical about that,” Colnic said.

Defying Democrats Was a Betrayal, Some Say

President Donald Trump signed the budget bill not long after the House voted 222 to 209 to pass it, the New York Times reported. Gray was the lone House Democrat from the Valley to support reopening the government.

Just days before, eight moderate Senate Democrats had sided with their GOP colleagues after more than a month at loggerheads.

Marjorie Sturdy, president of the Modesto Progressive Democratic Club, said her group has mixed emotions about Gray’s vote. She sees it as a betrayal to side with those willing to hurt the vulnerable, she said.

“Democrats have too often made concessions under the guise of bipartisanship,” Sturdy said. “While we understand Congressman Gray’s desire to prevent suffering for families in immediate need, bipartisanship does not mean paying the ransom and calling it a victory.

“We wish the congressman would call it what it is: We lost,” Sturdy continued. “The GOP resorted to starving their own people and (Gray) had to make the deal.”

Sturdy wasn’t alone in her feelings that Gray should have stuck with the majority of his party.

If he had stayed the course with most other Democratic members of Congress, “I think Adam would have been shocked by the level of support he would have gotten locally,” said Jesse Ornelas, a former Merced City Council member, who remains active in the Merced community as director of programs for Youth Leadership Institute.

Others Appreciate Gray’s ‘Courage’

Some Valley politicians say they found it refreshing that Gray showed some spine in an era of hyperpartisanship.

“He prioritized the interests of his country and his district, which took political courage,” said Merced Mayor Matt Serratto. “We need leaders who would rather govern than grandstand.”

Watching children go hungry to score political points in an extended shutdown helps no one, said Shane Smith, a Merced councilman, citing one of Gray’s deciding factors.

“Don’t get mad at Adam Gray for being Adam Gray,” said Chris Ricci, a Modesto councilman. “He knows how to play the game. Bipartisanship is his specialty and ultimately it’s his way of delivering for our district.”

Ricci noted some of Gray’s successes during his time in the California Assembly, including a coming extension of ACE passenger train service to the Valley, a medical center at UC Merced and ending a legislative technicality that cost Stanislaus County $74 million over three decades – all accomplished with bipartisan support.

“Let Adam do his thing. It’ll pay off in the end,” Ricci said.

But party leaders can have long memories, Stan State’s Colnic said.

“Any Democrat who voted to end the shutdown has some communicating to do with their constituents,” the professor said.

Gray Doesn’t Regret Vote

Gray justified his position in an opinion column Wednesday and in a Thursday interview with The Modesto Focus.

“I don’t see it as standing alone,” he said. “I see it as standing with my community, although politics can feel lonely at times when you have to show leadership.”

Gray recalled taking a stand in Sacramento for Valley farmers in a water policy debate, angering Democratic leadership who stripped him of membership on a key water committee. That experience might have helped give him confidence, he said, to cast the Wednesday vote ending the shutdown.

“When you put your community first, you gain respect on all sides,” Gray said. “There’s always going to be some in the community on the far right or left who (say) ‘My way or the highway.’ But in my experience, most people just want programs to work for them, and partisanship causes us to lose sight of that. When you do the authentic thing, you gain support on all sides.”

About the Reporter

Garth Stapley is the accountability reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.