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Tom McClintock was a familiar California conservative long before his congressional district reached Turlock. He ran in the 2003 election that made Arnold Schwarzenegger governor, then entered Congress in 2009. Today his territory connects part of town with the Sierra foothills and Yosemite, putting federal spending, immigration, forest management and water on his desk.
Current office: Republican U.S. representative for California’s 5th District. His district includes part of Turlock; Adam Gray represents the current 13th District serving another part of town. The official House lookup uses your address to identify your current member.
A statehouse career before the House
McClintock was born in Bronxville, New York, in 1956 and earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1978. He worked as a journalist and public-policy analyst before entering the California Assembly. The House historian’s record gives two stretches in the Assembly, 1982–1992 and 1996–2000, followed by the state Senate from 2000–2008. His congressional service began January 3, 2009.
His official biography emphasizes fiscal conservatism: controlling spending, limiting government and balancing budgets. He twice won the Republican nomination for state controller and ran for governor in California’s 2003 recall election. Those statewide campaigns made him recognizable outside the legislative districts he represented.
The House Clerk lists his hometown as Elk Grove. His congressional office describes a district extending through foothill communities, the Central Valley, Yosemite and Kings Canyon. That mix explains why forest and federal-land policy appears so often in his work alongside the concerns of agricultural communities.
Why Turlock appears in his district
California’s district boundaries changed after the 2020 census. The Census Bureau’s map for the current Congress labels Turlock as partly within the 5th District. The city’s congressional split means two neighbors with different addresses can have different members even when they shop at the same stores or attend the same schools.
There is another transition underway. The Secretary of State explains that California’s new congressional map is used for the 2026 election, while the current members continue representing their existing districts until January 3, 2027. The district number on a November ballot and the office handling a federal-agency case today need not describe the same boundary. The changes affect congressional districts; they do not redraw city-council seats.
Forest management and the debate over review
In July 2025, two McClintock proposals advanced through the House Natural Resources Committee. The Put Out the Fire Act proposed stronger requirements for responding to wildfire. The Proven Forest Management Act proposed expanding a streamlined review provision already available for certain work in the Tahoe Basin to a wider area. Committee approval was a legislative step, rather than proof that every proposal had become law.
The introduced wildfire bill’s actual text is more specific than a promise to extinguish every forest fire within a day. It identifies covered federal forest lands using severe-drought, national preparedness or high-risk fireshed criteria, then requires all available resources to be used with the purpose of extinguishing a detected fire within 24 hours. It also addresses prescribed fires and cooperation with state and local responders.
The disagreement over broader forest legislation is visible in the January 2025 House debate on the Fix Our Forests Act. Supporters argued that faster treatment could reduce dangerous fuel buildup. Representative Jared Huffman objected to environmental-review changes and said useful provisions were not sufficiently funded. For Valley residents who breathe smoke from distant fires, both the pace of treatment and its environmental consequences are practical questions.
A conservative who opposed the Mayorkas impeachment
One of McClintock’s most conspicuous breaks with fellow Republicans came in February 2024. He criticized Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’s handling of immigration, but argued on the House floor that poor administration or a policy dispute did not meet the constitutional basis for impeachment. His stated objection was about the power Congress would establish for itself, not agreement with the administration’s border policy.
The February 13 roll call records his no vote on the impeachment resolution. He was one of three Republicans opposing it; the House passed it 214–213. The Senate later dismissed both articles on April 17. McClintock’s explanation is useful context when assessing his immigration record: he can support stricter enforcement while rejecting a particular constitutional tactic.
Votes on spending and immigration
- 2021 infrastructure law: McClintock voted no on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 5, 2021.
- 2025 reconciliation bill: He voted yes on the final House version of H.R. 1 on July 3, 2025. The measure passed 218–214.
- Laken Riley Act: He voted yes on January 22, 2025 for the immigration-detention measure.
His current committee assignments include Judiciary, Budget and Natural Resources. His office identifies him as chair of Judiciary’s Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement subcommittee. Natural Resources assignments include Federal Lands and Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
In April 2014, McClintock joined Doris Matsui, Ami Bera and Army Corps officials for a tour of the auxiliary spillway being built at Folsom Dam. The Army Corps photograph and project description record a construction milestone before the new gates were installed. The spillway was designed to let operators release water earlier and faster during large storms.
His objections also sometimes concern the method used to pursue a policy. In a September 2026 vote note on the Sanctioning Russia Act, he said he favored sanctions against Russia but opposed the bill’s additional presidential authority to impose tariffs on major trading partners.
The 2024 result and the November 2026 ballot
In 2024, the certified state results gave McClintock 227,643 votes, or 61.8%, against Democrat Michael J. “Mike” Barkley’s 140,919, or 38.2%. The November 2026 certified candidate list pairs McClintock with Democrat Michael Masuda in the 5th District. That election is November 3; the result will determine who serves the next congressional term.
How to contact the congressional office
McClintock’s Modesto office is at 1020 15th Street, Suite 11, Modesto, CA 95354. Call 209-550-6910. His Washington office number is 202-225-2511. Use the official constituent-services page for federal-agency help, internships, academy nominations, art-competition information and requests for Washington visits.
For a delayed agency matter, tell staff what agency is involved, when you applied and what response you have received. Have your correspondence and case number available. Ask about the authorization needed for staff to discuss the matter with the agency. A congressional inquiry can seek information and a timely response; it cannot guarantee that a benefits claim or application will be approved.
The Local Turlock representatives directory also lists county, state and Senate offices, so an issue with a county service or state agency can reach the office responsible for it.
