Democrats try to link Central Valley House Republican to Project 2025. Is it fair?
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee placed a billboard in California Congressional District 13 hoping to tie House Republican John Duarte to the controversial “Project 2025.”
“I have not read and I do not endorse Project 2025,” Duarte said in a response to the Bee.
California Congressional District 13 covers a large portion of the Central Valley of California and is a closely watched district in the upcoming general election both locally and nationally. In 2022, Duarte won the district with just 564 votes.
In Modesto, Duarte is the current representative for portions of downtown, southwest Modesto and the Airport district. He also represents Ceres, Twin Rivers, Empire and portions of Turlock.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in DC, created Project 2025, a 920-page document containing the foundation’s wish list of policies it hopes to enact if Trump wins the White House this November. According to the ACLU, this includes curtailing Trans rights, increasing immigration enforcement, ending birthright citizenship, dismantling the asylum process, expanding restrictions on abortion, broadening restrictions on voting rights and censoring school discussions on things like race and gender.
Duarte said in a response to the Bee that the Heritage Foundation grades his votes the least consistent with their agenda than any other Republican.
The Heritage Foundation maintains a scorecard for all members of Congress and Duarte has a score of 41% as of Oct. 10. This is the lowest score of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives graded by the think tank—three representatives have a grade of 0% because they were elected mid-term. At least 13 other Republicans have scored lower in the Senate.
The Heritage Foundation did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Dan Gottlieb, a spokesperson from DCCC, said that the intention of the billboard was to put Duarte exactly with the caucus he votes for.
“It’s hard to separate yourself from an agenda that you vote with time and time again,” he said.
The DCCC is a committee dedicated to helping Democratic House candidates get elected.
The billboard, located in Los Banos, reads, “House Republicans’ Project 2025 will rip healthcare from people with pre-existing conditions.” While the billboard doesn’t name or show Duarte, they’ve published on their website that it is aimed at him.
House Accountability War Room, an organization tied to Courage for America, a DC-based advocacy group, created a webpage intended to match Duarte’s voting record with Project 2025.
“As we’re focusing on people like Mr. Duarte and several other quote-unqoute moderate Republicans, we’re trying to show their voting records don’t reflect that they’re these moderate, pro working family, pro American people members of congress,” said Malachi White, the Associate Director of Communications for the House Accountability War Room.
Duarte did vote for an 113-page budget bill that ultimately failed, but included a repeal of the FDA’s ability to provide abortion medication through the mail. Duarte has said that he believes abortion laws should be left up to the state, but does not support a national ban.
In a Sacramento Bee article, Duarte aligned himself with more far-right members of Congress when it comes to fiscal issues.
“You know that’s the sort of politics he identifies with, and I don’t think it’s the brand of politics that the San Joaquin Valley identifies with,” Gottlieb said.
White said he has concerns about the certification of the election and would be interested in hearing from Duarte.
“My next call to Duarte and any other Republicans that we hold accountable in congress is, when the time comes, January 6, 2025, will you certify the election results regardless of who the winner is?” They asked, “Because at the end of the day, it’s more important to push for our defense of democracy than aligning with your party.”
In September, a group of bipartisan legislators signed a pledge vowing to certify the election. Of the 30 signers, six of them were Republicans, however Duarte was not included at that time.
In a response to the Bee on if he would certify the election, Duarte confirmed, “I will certify the 2024 election.”
Duarte will be in Modesto debating challenger Adam Gray at the “Debate at the State” at Modesto’s State Theater on Oct. 25.
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 4:00 PM.
CORRECTION: In a comment submitted to The Bee after the publication of the story, Rep. Duarte clarified that he is the Republican in the House of Representatives with the lowest grade assessed by the Heritage Foundation. That is now reflected in the story.
