CALIFORNIA. THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR CALIFORNIA’S 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FACED OFF IN A DEBATE LAST NIGHT WITH JUST TEN DAYS LEFT TO VOTE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE AND DEMOCRAT ADAM GRAY ARE TRYING TO WIN OVER VOTERS IN MODESTO KCRA 3’S LETICIA ORDAZ HAS MORE ON SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THEY ADDRESSED. WELCOME TO THE DEBATE AT THE STATE. THE CANDIDATES FOR CALIFORNIA’S 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO CONVINCE VOTERS THEY FACED OFF IN A DEBATE AT THE STATE THEATER OF MODESTO FRIDAY NIGHT. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JOHN DUARTE AND CHALLENGING DEMOCRAT ADAM GRAY TALKED ABOUT WHY EACH ONE IS MORE FIT TO TACKLE IMPORTANT ISSUES IMPACTING THE CENTRAL VALLEY, LIKE CONTROLLING GAS PRICES. WE NEED TO CONTINUE ENERGY PRODUCTION IN THIS COUNTRY AT HIGH LEVELS, SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T GET TALKED A LOT ABOUT. I HAVEN’T HEARD JOHN SAY IT TONIGHT. IS THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ACTUALLY HAS HAD MORE ENERGY PRODUCTION THAN ANY ADMINISTRATION IN HISTORY. NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT. JOHN SAYS DRILL, DRILL, DRILL. WELL, THEY ARE DRILL, DRILL, DRILLING AND WE’RE STILL HAVING EXPENSIVE ENERGY, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE TO WIDEN OUR INVESTMENTS THERE ACROSS THE BOARD. I THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FORGE FORWARD AND CHANGE THE LEADERSHIP BACK THERE AND GET PEOPLE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT SITTING DOWN AND SOLVING THESE DIFFICULT PROBLEMS. THEY WIDENED THE SHOULDER. THEY DIDN’T INCREASE LANES. I MEAN, SO IF YOU’RE GOING TO RAISE GAS TAXES, LET’S AT LEAST INCREASE LANES. IF YOU’RE GOING TO CRITICIZE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR NOT PUTTING MONEY INTO HIGHWAY, WHY DON’T WE CHALLENGE CALIFORNIA’S POLICY OF NO CAPACITY INCREASE? AND THAT’S COMING OUT OF SACRAMENTO. AND IT’S CAUSING US TO BE STUCK IN BRAKE LIGHTS EVERY TIME WE TRY AND GO TO WORK. THIS IS NUTS. WE NEED TO IF WE’RE GOING TO COLLECT GAS TAXES, WE NEED TO BUILD RESIDENTS THE STREETS. THEY DESERVE, AND THEY PAY FOR THOSE GAS TAXES. WE’RE NOT DOING IT. IT’S A JOKE. ANOTHER BIG TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WAS IMMIGRATION AND THE GOLDEN STATE. BOTH CANDIDATES SAY THEY SUPPORT THE PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR DREAMERS AND IMPROVING THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO LEGALLY MIGRATE. I LOVE STANDING UP TO MY PARTY. I STOOD UP TO BOTH PARTIES. TODAY. I PUT A BILL OUT THAT’S GOT PIECES THAT BOTH SIDES HATE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE’RE GOING FOR A COMPROMISE. I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE CAN IMPROVE LIVES HERE IN THE VALLEY. JUST BY HAVING IMMIGRATION REFORM. RIGHT NOW, HISPANIC VOTERS ARE MOVING FROM ONE PARTY TO THE OTHER. WHO KNOWS WHERE IT LANDS. BUT THE GOAL OF MY BILL IS TO SHOW HISPANIC VOTERS THEIR POWER IN THIS HISPANIC VOTING RIGHTS ACT DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT. WE CAN’T PRETEND THAT SIMPLY ADDRESSING THE SITUATION THE DREAMERS ARE FACING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT FOLKS WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED WORKING HARD, CONTRIBUTING EVERY DAY A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP, THOSE ARE ALL PARTS OF THE SOLUTION. BUT WE NEED ACTUAL IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT ADDRESSES QUOTAS AND DEALS WITH PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET WORK VISAS AND GREEN CARDS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE VAST AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND JOBS THAT WE NEED HELP ON THAT WE FRANKLY DON’T HAVE THE WORKFORCE LIKE HOUSING, LIKE AGRICULTURE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH BOTH CANDIDATES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DEBATE. DUARTE AND GRAY SAY THEY FELT CONFIDENT ABOUT HOW THEY DID, BUT THEY WANTED TO LEAVE VOTERS WITH THIS MESSAGE. THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, RIGHT? THIS IS TRULY AN AMAZING PLACE AND WE DESERVE A CONGRESSMAN WHO’S WORKING HARD FOR US, NOT JUST LOOKING OUT AFTER HIS OWN SELF-INTEREST. LET ME KEEP WORKING FOR YOU. LET ME KEEP DOING THE THINGS, GETTING THE THE SIDEWALKS, THE STREETS, THE SEWER LINES, THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THE WATER ABUNDANCE INTO INTO THE SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND IMPROVING LIVES IN MODESTO. LETICIA ORDAZ KCRA THREE NEWS. IN 2022, THIS WAS THE STATE’S CLOSEST CONGRESSIONAL RACE. IT CAME DOWN TO JUST 564 VOTES, SEPARATI