Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., was declared the winner on Monday evening in a closely contested congressional race against fellow Republican Rep. Young Kim in California’s newly drawn 40th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race in Calvert’s favor, finalizing a week-long vote count that began after the Nov. 3 election. Calvert had declared victory on Thursday, though Kim did not concede. The two lawmakers, both supporters of former President Donald Trump, had previously represented adjacent districts before redistricting consolidated their areas into a single seat.
The newly formed district spans suburban communities in eastern Orange County and parts of western Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles. Under the redrawn map, Calvert retained approximately half of his former constituents, while Kim kept roughly a third of hers. The district was reconfigured as part of Proposition 50, a voter-backed initiative passed in 2020 to adjust congressional boundaries in favor of Democratic representation.
Calvert, first elected to Congress in 1992, is the longest-serving Republican in California’s House delegation and chairs the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Kim, first elected in 2018, is a former businesswoman who defeated Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros in 2020 after an unsuccessful bid two years prior. Kim outraised Calvert in the race, amassing a campaign war chest of $10 million.
The race marked one of several intraparty battles in California following the state’s 2020 redistricting process, which combined portions of Calvert’s prior district—including parts of Riverside County and Palm Springs—into the new 40th District. The changes were part of broader adjustments intended to reflect population shifts and political priorities set by the Democratic-led state Legislature.
California voters approved the redistricting plan in 2020, which also contributed to a broader shift in the state’s congressional delegation. Democrats’ redistricting efforts have been cited by some observers as a factor in reducing the number of Republican-held seats in California from nine to three or four, with one race still too close to call a week after the election.
Kim acknowledged the outcome in a statement posted to X, criticizing the redistricting process. “I wish [Calvert] the very best as he continues representing our communities,” she wrote. “It is unfortunate that Gavin Newsom’s political redistricting scheme forced two Republican members of Congress into this race.”
Calvert’s victory ensures he will continue serving in the House, while Kim’s political future remains uncertain. The race underscores the impact of redistricting on incumbents, particularly in competitive districts where party lines are closely drawn.