Denham, Eggman rematch set for November

There will be a November rematch in the 10th Congressional District for incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, and Democrat Michael Eggman.

Denham had 47 percent of the votes and Eggman was at 28 percent with all precincts counted in Stanislaus and southern San Joaquin counties in Tuesday’s primary election. Democrat Michael Barkley stood at 15 percent and Republican Robert Hodges at 10 percent.

The top two finishers regardless of party advance to the November general election. That will be two years after Denham beat Eggman by 56 percent to 44 percent.

The GOP had a slim edge in voter registration as of May 23 – 38.5 percent to 38.0 percent for Democrats. Another 18.6 percent had no party preference and could play a major role in November.

Denham, 48, has served in Congress since 2010 and spent eight years before that as a state senator. He is an almond grower near Turlock and owns an agricultural container business in Salinas, which was part of his Senate district.

Denham was in a House session Tuesday evening and could not be reached for comment.

Eggman, 51, is a commercial beekeeper and almond grower near Turlock. He has the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which considers the seat “a prime pickup opportunity.”

Eggman said Tuesday night that he would work to improve water supplies, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and boost opportunities for the middle class. He said Denham is more aligned with Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, than people in the 10th.

“I happy about the results tonight and I’m looking forward to a tough campaign about issues that matter to the Valley,” Eggman said.

Barkley, 70, is a Manteca resident making his third straight primary run. He describes himself as a social liberal and fiscal conservative, with hundreds of positions listed on his campaign website. He has training in law and accounting but does not have active licenses to practice. He also has experience in data processing.

Hodges, 29, is an almond and feed crop grower and a board member for the Denair Unified School District. He campaigned as the “true conservative” alternative to Denham. He vowed to cut federal spending, support gun rights, oppose abortion and make desalinization a key part of water supplies.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Denham, Eggman rematch set for November."