Trump-endorsed Republican Ken Calvert will win the race for Congressional District 40 against fellow Republican Young Kim, NBC News projected Monday.
Among the 83% of expected votes counted, Calvert received 53%, compared with Kim’s 47%, according to NBC News.
In response, Kim conceded to Calvert, congratulating him on his victory and wishing him the “very best” in representing the communities, while blaming Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting decision for her loss.
“It’s unfortunate that Gavin Newsom’s political redistricting scheme forced two Republican members of Congress into this race,” Kim said in a statement.
In the June primary, Calvert received nearly 35% of the vote, compared with approximately 20% for Kim.
Calvert ran his campaign emphasizing his congressional record and his efforts to secure billions of dollars in federal funding for his constituents.
The longtime congressman supports lower taxes, aligning with Trump’s agenda. He has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, promising to oppose tax increases.
Calvert has also taken positions that have diverged from those of some conservatives on social issues. Although he opposed allowing LGBTQ people to serve openly in the U.S. military, he voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which established federal protections for same-sex marriages.
The battle for District 40, which stretches across eastern Orange County and into the Inland Empire, has taken a few interesting turns since last year, when California voters approved new congressional maps designed to favor Democrats and counter Trump’s redistricting efforts.
Under the newly adopted maps, Calvert’s former 41st Congressional District was redrawn, shifting much of its territory away from the Inland Empire and toward Los Angeles County. The new district includes communities such as Downey, Bellflower, Lakewood and Santa Fe Springs.
Calvert, who has served in Congress for more than three decades, quickly pivoted and decided to run in the newly drawn 40th District, setting up a contest with Kim, who represented the existing district.
Kim, who was first elected to Congress in 2020 and has often positioned herself as a moderate Republican, increasingly embraced her ties to Trump during the primary campaign, describing herself as a “Trump Republican” as she sought to shore up support among conservative voters.
But as affordability emerged as one of the top issues in the November election, Trump’s approval ratings fell. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 30% approve.
Kim then quietly scrubbed references to Trump from her campaign website. Calvert also reduced the prominence of Trump in his campaign messaging.