Get to know Kevin Lincoln
Husband, Father, Pastor, Veteran, Leader:
=> U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served on the presidential Marine One helicopter squadron under President George W. Bush, with high-level security clearance duties protecting the Commander-in-Chief (recruited post-9/11 from military police training).
=> Private-sector leadership as District Manager for a major Silicon Valley private security firm (AlliedBarton/Securitas), responsible for an annual budget exceeding $55 million, a support staff of 22, and more than 1,300 employees.
=> Community and faith leadership as Executive Administrative Pastor at LifeSong Church in Stockton for roughly seven years, overseeing finances, daily operations, vision implementation, and outreach programs assisting the working poor.
=> Elected Mayor of Stockton (2021–2024/2025) after defeating progressive incumbent Michael Tubbs; third-generation Stocktonian and grandson of a Mexican immigrant who worked in a local cannery.
=> Major youth and workforce investments: oversaw more than $6 million in youth programming and workforce development, partnered with 14 community-based organizations, employed over 600 young people, and launched Stockton’s first summer jobs program (with some participants later hired permanently by the city).
=> Homelessness and housing expansion: advanced 10 emergency shelter projects, 9 permanent supportive housing projects, and 4 affordable housing projects, with plans projecting hundreds of new shelter beds and housing units; supported conversions such as a former motel into permanent supportive housing (e.g., Calaveras Quarters for at-risk youth and families).
=> Public safety focus including support for focused-deterrence strategies (e.g., Ceasefire model, which studies linked to reduced likelihood of being shot and lower recidivism among participants), removal of hundreds of firearms from the streets in a single year, and multi-agency operations against sideshows and gang-related violence.
=> Economic development efforts: issued thousands of new business licenses, provided entrepreneurship grants, supported local events and festivals, and secured arena naming rights/sponsorships to boost city opportunities.
=> Self-improvement while working: earned an Associate of Arts in Business, Bachelor of Science in Business Management, and Master’s degree in Executive Leadership.
=> Bipartisan approach to city finances and recovery, emphasizing fiscal responsibility, youth, community organizations, and positioning Stockton as a better place to live, raise a family, and grow a business.
ENDORSED BY:
=> President Donald Trump
=> House Speaker Mike Johnson
=> House Majority Leader Steve Scalise
=> House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
=> Congressman Tom McClintock
=> Congressman Vince Fong
=> Retired Congressman John Duarte
=> Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke
=> San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow
=> Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno
=> Merced County Supervisors Daron McDaniel and Lloyd Pareira
=> Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez
=> National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
=> Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
=> California Republican Party
=> Local Republican parties in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, and Madera counties
=> REFORM California
