Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln could be considering a run for Congress in 2024

A political flyer circulating on Friday hinted that Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln is planning to throw his hat in the ring for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Mayor Kevin Lincoln for Congress flyer advertises a fundraiser and private reception scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday. The location of the reception is unknown, but those who reserve a $500 ticket will be sent the address "upon receipt of RSVP," the flyer reads.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and members of the California Republican Congressional Delegation will be at the reception, according to the flyer.

While the flyer doesn't specify the district Lincoln is seeking to represent, he lives in California's 9th Congressional District, currently represented by Congressman Josh Harder (D-Tracy).

Computerized records show that Harder has already registered as a candidate for the District 9 seat in the 2024 general election, along with Brett Dood — a Republican and pastor from Ripon. Harder was elected to the position in 2022 after defeating San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti.

The 9th Congressional District includes Stockton, Tracy, Manteca and Ripon.

As of Friday evening, the Federal Election Commission did not show that Lincoln filed paperwork to run for Congress.

Attempts to reach Lincoln through his public information officer and new campaign manager to confirm the details were unsuccessful. His campaign manager declined to comment.

"We have nothing to announce or confirm at this time," they said in an email to The Record.

In recent months, Lincoln has taken a hard stance on certain political issues.

The mayor voted against raising the Pride flag at Stockton City Hall at the June 13 and June 20 city council meetings, despite overwhelming community support. Lincoln did not publicly object to raising the flag in previous years.

In a June 2022 interview, Lincoln told The Record that he tries to "lead with what's important to the people."

"When the people of Stockton speak up in a unified voice, regardless of what the issue is, their elected representatives have to listen," he said. "My commitment to the city of Stockton is that I don’t lead with partisan views."

Lincoln is still listed as a mayoral candidate for the 2024 primary election in city campaign finance disclosure documents. District 2 Councilman Dan Wright and political newcomer Ernesto Gonzalez have also registered to run for mayor of Stockton next year.

Lincoln was elected to his current position in 2020 after defeating then-Mayor Michael Tubbs in the general election. He has an Associate of Arts in Business from University of Phoenix, a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Grand Canyon University, and a master’s degree in executive leadership from Liberty University.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton mayor Kevin Lincoln could be considering a run for Congress