Why this California Democrat broke with his party to end the government shutdown

"Rep. Adam Gray was one of only six House Democrats - and the only one from California - who voted with Republicans in favor of a deal to end the government shutdown, and there was a calculated reason behind that decision. Gray, a first-term Democrat from the Central Valley, is running for reelection in a majority Latino district that national Republicans are expected to heavily target as they defend their narrow House majority in next fall's midterm elections."

"The Merced Democrat's vote reflects the political reality of representing one of the nation's few battleground districts. Gray is positioning himself as an independent-minded Democrat willing to buck leadership on politically divisive issues. The shutdown deal gave him a rare opportunity to put that in practice, even at the risk of frustrating members of his own party."

""I know it is not comfortable, and I know there's people that are going to be mad at me," Gray told The Times. "But I am not here to win an argument. I am here to actually help fix problems with people in my community, and I know I did the right thing.""

Rep. Adam Gray crossed party lines to vote with Republicans for a deal to end the government shutdown. Gray represents California's 13th District, a Central Valley, majority-Latino district that national Republicans plan to target in the upcoming midterms. Gray won his seat by 187 votes last year, and redistricting has made the district more favorable to Democrats but still highly competitive. Gray framed his vote as an independent, problem-solving move for his community despite potential backlash from party colleagues. Many Democrats opposed the deal because it lacked language to extend expiring Obamacare tax credits, risking higher health care costs for millions.

Read at Los Angeles Times