This Q&A is the first in a series of interviews with some of California’s “other” big-city mayors leading communities that rank among the nation’s 100 most-populous cities — but are often overshadowed by California power centers like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
EYEING ANOTHER UPSET: Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln is no stranger to unseating an incumbent — and he’s hoping to do that again. The 43-year-old Republican, former marine and pastor first took office in 2021 after notching a stunning 13-point upset to oust Democrat Michael Tubbs, considered a rising progressive star at the time. Now, Lincoln is hoping four years of governance focused on mental health, crime and youth issues will vault him into another victory this fall, this time against Democratic incumbent Rep. Josh Harder in the race for California’s 9th Congressional District in the Central Valley. Harder has the advantage on paper in the Democratic-leaning district and boasts nearly five times more campaign cash than Lincoln. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in May placed Harder on its Frontline list of potentially vulnerable incumbents, a sign the race could be closer than it appears. “Here we are again,” Lincoln said. “I do it because I believe in it.” Playbook sat down with Lincoln to discuss his record as mayor and his run for Congress. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed cities greater enforcement powers to clear homeless encampments. How has that impacted your approach in Stockton? The public has been crying out for cities and local agencies to do more, to create safer public spaces … Previous rulings tied local agencies’ and jurisdictions’ hands. Our hands are now untied. The first area we're going to prioritize is making sure our parks are clear of encampments throughout the city of Stockton. We want people and families to feel comfortable frequenting those public spaces. Is there a personal story that drives your approach? When I was 15 years old … as I'm coming out of [a] store, a gentleman says, “Hey, young man, you have a dollar?” I looked at him, and I realized who that gentleman was. It was my father, whom I hadn't seen for a few years. I had to tell my father, “No.” He says that was one of the moments that changed his life. Shortly thereafter, he ended up getting on the right path. He’s been clean and sober for almost 30 years. That's a moment that changed my life. People do need help, and we need to do everything we can to help them. But sometimes there has to be some enforcement to help that person take that next step toward healing in their life. Crime is a major issue heading into November, with Proposition 36 seeking to undo changes under Prop 47 that downgraded certain penalties a decade ago. Are state officials doing enough to address crime? No, I don't think so. This whole situation between Prop 47 — and now Prop 36 — is a direct result of that. You’ve had state officials that have changed their position on Prop 47 because their communities are being impacted. The fundamental responsibility of an elected official is public safety. If our people, our businesses and our property [are] not secure, then we're failing. I support Prop 36. We need more accountability. A culture of lawlessness in Stockton and San Joaquin County is unacceptable. Opponents of Prop 36 argue it could bring California back to an era of mass incarceration. Is that a concern? I'm not concerned about that because it's not written that way. You're running for Congress in a district that leans Democratic. Are you taking a different campaign approach than other Republicans? I'm going to work with people across the aisle to be as effective as I can. That's been my record as mayor, and that will be my record in Congress. There's going to be times where my own party may not agree with a decision that I make. But my responsibility is to the people of California’s 9th Congressional District. What’s going to be the make-or-break issue for your district in the election? It's going to be inflation. Inflation, border security and crime, those are the three issues that are important to people in this district. IT’S TUESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to tkatzenberger@politico.com. | 
