Josh Harder holds large lead over Tom Patti in race for 9th Congressional District seat

U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat, was well ahead of his Republican opponent Tom Patti in Tuesday’s election for a seat in Congress to represent most of San Joaquin County, according to the county’s unofficial election results.

Harder, who represented California’s 10^th Congressional District prior to redistricting related to the latest U.S. Census numbers, had about 62 percent of the votes for the 9^th District seat while Patti, a member of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, had about 38 percent, according to the unofficial results.

The winner of the race will replace Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, who was not running again for the 9^th District seat.

During the June primary election, Harder and Patti finished as the top-two finishers, leading to Tuesday’s runoff election.

The 9^th District covers all of San Joaquin County except for Lathrop and some unincorporated areas of south Tracy.

Harder said on his candidate page that some of the key issues he wanted to focus on if elected were bringing down health care costs, bringing more doctors and nurses to the valley, jobs and education, water, agriculture, veterans, immigration, and homelessness.