The race for District 13 is one of the tightest in the country and could help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2022, Republican John Duarte defeated Democrat Adam Gray by fewer than 600 votes, and the two candidates will face off again in November.
The effects of climate are among the top issues voters here care about, said Lisa García Bedolla, UC Berkeley’s vice provost for graduate studies. Last summer, she polled over 300 District 13 registered voters about their top concerns.
But these voters are so disillusioned with the U.S. and its financial support of Israel, which is in its eighth month of a siege of Gaza, that they might sit out this election altogether. Eric Schickler, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, said, "The Democrats’ nightmare is having a repeat of what happened last time where low turnout in these solidly blue states allowed Republicans to capture a number of seats...District 13 is basically a microcosm for that broader national contest.” To read the full story, click here.