PERSON: John Duarte

California’s 13th Congressional District

Representative

John Scott Duarte (born September 9, 1966) is an American politician, businessman, nurseryman and pistachio farmer. A member of the Republican Party, he has served as the U.S. representative for California’s 13th congressional district since 2023.

California’s 13th congressional district was listed as a key competitive House race that could help determine control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections. His election was the second-closest in the nation, behind Lauren Boebert’s election in Colorado’s 3rd congressional district.

Duarte was born on September 9, 1966, in Modesto, California, to Jim and Anita Duarte, and is the grandson of Portuguese immigrants. He graduated from the University of the Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business with an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in finance from San Diego State University in 1989.

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.

In 2017, Duarte was ordered to pay a $1.1 million fine after he was sued by USACE, claiming that he had illegally filled wetlands on his wheat field in Tehama County by plowing it, a violation of the Clean Water Act. The lawsuit garnered national attention and lasted over five years.

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