California’s redistricting plan, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, has contributed to a major reduction in the state’s Republican House delegation. Rep. Ken Calvert is projected to defeat fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim in the 40th Congressional District, a contest that put two incumbents against each other after the new map combined parts of their former districts.
Kim congratulated Calvert in a statement posted to X on Monday night, while criticizing the redistricting process. She said she wished him well as he continued representing the area, but argued that Newsom’s political map had forced two Republican members of Congress into the same race.
Democrats’ redistricting gains, alongside a broader blue wave, have cut the California Republican delegation by more than half. Republicans previously held eight seats, and an independent caucused with them; after the election, the party is on track to hold only three or four seats, with one race still undecided a week after voting.
Calvert, the longest-serving Republican in California’s House delegation, declared victory several days before the count was complete. The district includes suburbs in eastern Orange County and reaches into western Riverside County’s Inland Empire, southeast of Los Angeles.
Voters approved the Democratic-backed map, which combined areas from Calvert’s and Kim’s former districts into a single seat. Kim had represented her district since 2018. Calvert’s previous district, covering much of Riverside County and Palm Springs, was divided among other districts.
Calvert is among just three California Republicans who have secured re-election so far. Reps. Tom McClintock and Vince Fong won in the 5th and 20th Districts, both heavily Republican areas spanning parts of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Rep. Jay Obernolte, meanwhile, has a narrow lead of 3,384 votes over Democratic challenger Tessa Lynn Hodge in the 23rd District, a High Desert seat in San Bernardino County. The district had been rated Solid R before the midterms. With ballots still being counted, Obernolte leads by about 1.6 percentage points, 50.8% to 49.2%. He won the seat by more than 20 points in 2024.
Four other California Republicans are set to leave Congress in January 2027. Rep. James Gallagher lost to Democrat Mike McGuire by nearly 13 points, while Rep. David Valadao was defeated by Democrat Randy Villegas by nearly 37 points.
Rep. Darrell Issa did not run again, and his former seat shifted to the Democrats under the new map. Democrat Marni von Wilpert defeated Republican Jim Desmond by nearly 20 points. Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the Republican Party in an effort to hold onto his seat as an independent, lost to Democrat Richard Pan by more than 17 points.
The Calvert-Kim contest was the only Republican-versus-Republican race created by the new map. In her statement, Kim reflected on her journey as an immigrant who came to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream, calling her time in Congress one of the greatest honors of her life. She thanked her family, volunteers and supporters, and said she was grateful to everyone who had trusted her with their vote.
Kim said she was proud of her work on behalf of local communities, including efforts to strengthen the economy, improve national security and make life safer and more affordable for California families.
Both candidates initially backed President Donald Trump’s agenda, then sought to present themselves as pragmatic conservatives. The campaign grew increasingly hostile. Kim pointed to ethics complaints and an FBI investigation involving some of Calvert’s real-estate dealings. Calvert denied the allegations and was not charged.
Calvert, in turn, criticized a campaign contribution Kim received from a Chinese American businessman who had faced scrutiny over alleged foreign influence. Kim returned the donation and said she had not known about the allegations.
In a post on X a year earlier, Calvert argued that Proposition 50 had allowed Newsom and his allies in Sacramento to redraw congressional districts and sideline people who disagreed with the governor’s policies. He called redistricting in response to election results “politics at its absolute worst.”
Calvert also criticized Newsom for spending heavily on the ballot measure while, in his view, crime, housing costs, taxes and gas prices remained serious problems. He said he would continue fighting for the families in his district despite the measure’s passage.
With his victory, Calvert will enter 2027 as California’s most senior Republican voice in the House.
