John Duarte | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's13th district | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Lee (redistricted) |
| Succeeded by | Adam Gray |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Scott Duarte (1966-09-09)September 9, 1966 (age 59) Modesto, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | [citation needed] |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | |
John Scott Duarte[1] (born September 9, 1966)[2] is an American politician, businessman, and farmer.[3][4][5] A member of theRepublican Party, he served as theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 13th congressional district from 2023 to 2025.[6]
Duarte was born on September 9, 1966, inModesto, California, to Jim and Anita Duarte.[citation needed] He is ofPortuguese ancestry.[7] Duarte graduated from theUniversity of the Pacific'sEberhardt School of Business with anMBA and abachelor's degree in finance fromSan Diego State University in 1989.[8]
In 1989, Duarte began his career as a vice president of sales for Duarte Trees & Vines, which was founded by his parents in 1988. In 2007, he became the company's chief executive officer and president.[9]
In 2017, Duarte was ordered to pay a $2.8 million government fine after theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers claimed that he had violated theClean Water Act by plowing a field to plant wheat on his property inTehama County.[10]
On March 9, 2022, Duarte launched a campaign to representCalifornia's 13th congressional district after the2020 United States redistricting cycle created a new district based in theCentral Valley. He andstate AssemblymanAdam Gray advanced to the general election.[11] He defeated Gray in the2022 United States House of Representatives elections by 564 votes. He was declared the winner on December 3, 2022, almost a month after the election.[12]
Duarte ran for reelection against Gray again in 2024.[13] Following weeks of counting, Gray eventually took the lead over Duarte on November 26, 2024, by a margin of 182 votes, with the race being called for Gray on December 4.[14]
Duarte was sworn into office on January 3, 2023. He supportedKevin McCarthy forSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives.[15]
In October 2023, Duarte said that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy should be reinstated as Speaker due to the unrest in Israel changing the political dynamics and stakes in the U.S. House.[16] After McCarthy's ouster, Duarte supportedSteve Scalise as the nominee.[17] Once Scalise dropped out, Duarte voted forJim Jordan on the House floor.[18]
For the118th Congress:[19]
Duarte has said "I don't care about party politics" and that "I'll stand against 'the woke.' I'll stand against the ultra-conservatives."[20]
Building new infrastructure to secure water for the San Joaquin Valley was one of Duarte's top priorities.[20]
In 2023, Duarte was one of two Republicans to vote against theRonny Jackson amendment to H.R. 2670: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.[21][22] In 2024, Duarte said he was a pro-choice Republican. Duarte has voiced opposition to a federal ban on abortion but has stated that abortion "should be left to the states".[23]
In 2023, Duarte was the only Republican to vote against theMatt Rosendale amendment to H.R. 2670: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which would prohibit TRICARE from covering and the Department of Defense from furnishing gender affirmation surgeries and gender hormone treatments for transgender individuals.[24][25]
Duarte was one of 41 Republicans to vote against the Bob Good amendment to H.R. 2670: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which would defund a congressionally mandated commission tasked with renaming Army bases and military property named in honor of Confederate leaders.[26][27]
Duarte has described himself as "immigration fluid", meaning that he both supports greater border security but also recognizes that agriculture depends on farmworkers who lack legal immigration status. He has said only a bipartisan approach will effectively address immigration issues.[20]
In 2023, Duarte was one of two Republicans who voted against H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. He called theE-Verify program "devastating for farmers."[28]
Duarte was a sponsor of the Farm Worker Modernization Act which seeks to boost foreign worker availability in the U.S., with benefits to both employers and laborers.[29]
Duarte supportsDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).[30]
Duarte voted to provideIsrael with support following the2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[31][32]
| Year | Office | Party | Primary | General | Result | Swing | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | Total | % | P. | ||||||||
| 2022 | U.S. House | Republican | 26,163 | 34.25% | 1st | 67,060 | 50.21% | 1st | Won | Gain | [33] | ||
| 2024 | Republican | 47,219 | 54.9% | 1st | 105,367 | 49.96% | 2nd | Lost | Gain | [34] | |||
| Source:Secretary of State of California |Statewide Election Results | |||||||||||||
Duarte lives with his wife, Alexandra, on apistachio andalmond farm outside ofModesto in ruralStanislaus County. They have four children. Duarte is anEpiscopalian.[35]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 13th congressional district 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
