Longtime Representative Ken Calvert has secured reelection in a closely contested race against fellow Republican Ken Calvert, representing a newly drawn congressional district in Southern California. The Associated Press declared Calvert the winner on Monday evening, concluding a week-long, tightly divided contest following the November 3 election.
Calvert, 73, had previously declared victory on Thursday, though Kim had not conceded. The race pitted the two incumbents against each other in one of California's formerly Republican-held districts, spanning parts of Orange and Riverside Counties. Both representatives are supporters of President Trump and were considered allies prior to this election.
The district's reconfiguration, a result of Proposition 50, aimed to increase Democratic representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democratic-led state legislature placed this initiative on the ballot, leading to both Calvert and Kim being placed in the same district, necessitating one of them to lose their seat.
Calvert, first elected to Congress in 1992, is the longest-serving Republican member of California's congressional delegation. He holds a senior position on the House Committee on Appropriations and chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Kim, 64, is known for her fundraising capabilities, having previously defeated Democratic Representative Gil Cisneros in 2020. Despite Kim outspending Calvert, amassing a war chest of $10 million to Calvert's $7 million, Calvert ultimately prevailed.
External political action committees played a significant role in the race. Americans 4 Security PAC reportedly spent over $6 million to support Calvert's reelection, including campaign materials distributed to Democratic voters that highlighted ties between Kim and President Trump. Donors to this PAC include executives from Palantir, a company whose software is utilized by the U.S. military.
The newly defined 40th Congressional District extends from Mission Viejo in Orange County to areas such as Woodcrest, Menifee, and Murrieta in Riverside County. Registered Republicans constitute less than 40% of the district's voters, with approximately 21% identifying as no-party-preference and 31% registered as Democrats, according to data from the California Secretary of State's office.
