Riverbank newcomer gains state Democratic Party endorsement in Congressional race
Newcomer Michael Masuda, a former U.S. Department of State employee, secured his party’s endorsement over longtime candidate Mike Barkley at the California Democratic convention held this weekend in San Francisco.
Both are running against Republican incumbent Tom McClintock in a district that is larger and redder than it was last year, due to the passage of Proposition 50.
Masuda said he doesn’t believe the changes will do much to alter the landscape. He cited voter registration records that show only a 1.5% bigger Republican voter base within the newly drawn 5th Congressional District. But because the district is larger, now including parts of Alpine, Inyo and Mono counties, Masuda said it is more challenging to meet constituents.
“The message is exactly the same. I am focused on the kitchen-table issues, wildfires, healthcare, fire insurance, jobs, our local economy, housing, these issues that are really impacting people day in and day out,” he said.
Masuda voted against Proposition 50, breaking with many Democrats in the state, and has drawn criticism from fellow Democrat and opponent Barkley for that stance, equating it to voting for Donald Trump.
“I do not like that the state party endorsed him despite that,” Barkley said.
Masuda grew up in Amador County and moved to Riverbank with his family after leaving his federal job in Washington, D.C., in 2025 with the express purpose of running for his home district. He said he chose Riverbank because it was centrally located in the district.
Where things stand for incumbent McClintock
McClintock was easily endorsed by Stanislaus County Central Committee on Jan. 12 and the California Republican Party on Feb. 13. He does not have any Republican competition registered with the county. In the last election, McClintock had a landslide victory over Mike Barkley, who got 38% of the vote for the then-smaller district.
Masuda believes recent frustration of McClintock’s constituents across the political spectrum may lead to a Democratic victory.
“When your congressperson is not accessible, it is very frustrating,” he said. “People want their voice to be heard, and they want to know that there is somebody who is listening, regardless of their political affiliation, that they are listening and seriously hearing.”
There have been several protests at McClintock’s Modesto field office, which was temporarily closed to constituents last year following an unexpected staffing shortage.
Masuda quit the State Department after the Department of Government Efficiency sent him and his colleagues’ buyout requests.
“The whole thing with DOGE, and I think more generally, being a federal civil servant, it showed me how important these roles actually are, and that there are a lot of people, hundreds of thousands of people, working behind the scenes to help address these big problems that we’re facing,” Masuda said.
McClintock said, “In DOGE we trust” on the House floor last year when the newly renamed agency run by Elon Musk was cutting programs and services within the federal government for what it deemed waste, fraud and abuse.
McClintock’s spokesperson did not respond in time for publication.
Masuda said his campaign is funded by small donors and not corporate PAC money. “Our average contribution has been less than $50,” he said.
The field of Democrats running for this seat has narrowed considerably. Kate Sills, who was the second-highest vote-getter in the pre-endorsement vote, dropped out on Jan. 26.
Paul Danbom, a farmer, dropped out and endorsed Masuda on Feb. 6 and is now helping him reach out to rural voters.
Barkley, who has run unsuccessfully in the last three elections for the 5th Congressional District, said he is still knocking on doors and hopes to have support equal to Masuda’s by Election Day.
California’s primary will be held June 2, and the top two candidates will move forward to the general election in November.
