Adam Channing Gray was born September 23, 1977 in Merced, California. He grew up working in his family’s dairy-supply and feed store — giving him deep roots in Central Valley agriculture and firsthand understanding of Valley working-class life.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, after attending Merced College.
Gray spent years working as a legislative aide and staffer for various members of the California Legislature before being elected himself. In 2012 he won a seat in the California State Assembly (District 21), where he served until 2022.
In his time in the Assembly, he built a reputation as a pragmatic, cross-partisan problem-solver: he founded the California Problem Solvers Caucus to bring Democrats, Republicans, and independents together around solutions for issues like drought, water, and housing.
In the 2024 election, Gray ran for Congress and narrowly won the seat for CA-13 — a competitive district in the San Joaquin Valley — flipping it from Republican to Democratic control. He assumed office in January 2025.
Today, he serves on the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees and is the Whip for the Blue Dog Coalition.
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Key Issue Stances & Priorities
As Representative for a largely agricultural, rural-urban hybrid district — and given his background — Gray emphasizes:
- Water & Agriculture — A longtime defender of Central Valley water resources. In the state legislature he opposed legislation (e.g. a prior “Bay-Delta” update) that he argued would jeopardize irrigation and water-storage projects vital to farms. He also helped secure funding for water storage through state water bonds.
- Rural & Valley-Focused Governance — Committed to bringing a “Valley voice” to Congress: fighting for rural communities, supporting farms and small business, and ensuring federal policy respects the needs of workers, growers, and Central Valley families.
- Healthcare and Access to Services — In Congress, Gray recently introduced the Midwives for MOMS Act to expand access to maternal care in rural and underserved communities — a recognition of healthcare gaps for many in his district.
- Support for Veterans & Responsible Budgeting — He sponsored legislation (the STRIVE Act) leading to relief for veterans burdened by medical-copay debt, showing a commitment to serving veterans and pragmatic fiscal oversight.
- Bipartisanship & Pragmatism — Gray continues to frame himself as a moderate Democrat who works across the aisle. As a former state-level centrist and as part of the Blue Dog Coalition, he signals willingness to reach consensus rather than ideological purity.
Accomplishments & Distinctive Actions
- As a state Assemblymember, Gray built coalitions across party lines and led efforts to fund water storage and protect Central Valley water security — critical for farms, jobs, and families in his region.
- He helped bring new resources to the region’s higher education and medical infrastructure, including support for building a medical-education facility at University of California, Merced.
- In Congress, early on, he’s already introduced legislation to improve rural maternal care and relieve financial burdens on veterans — signaling he intends to deliver tangible benefits to constituents.
- By winning CA-13 in 2024 — flipping a competitive, swing-seat district — Gray demonstrated viability and broad appeal in a diverse, rural-urban constituency, showing he can win and represent effectively in challenging territory.
Since my arrival in Washington, the constant nonsense that comes out of my Republican colleagues’ mouths is ‘Look over here, look at that shiny object. Let’s try to come up with some divisive, culture war talking point to avoid dealing with reality,” said Gray. “The reality is (Republicans are) decimating health care for the American people. “This is about destroying the progress we’ve made in trying to improve our healthcare system and the way it delivers services across the country.
- Adam Gray