Proposition 50 wiped out Rep. Calvert’s district. He’ll run elsewhere
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rep. Ken Calvert will run in the new Republican-dominated 40th District.
- Redistricting shifts Riverside seat to Los Angeles as a safe Democratic Latino-majority.
- A loss would cost GOP defense appropriations clout; Calvert emphasizes local roots.
Rep. Ken Calvert, a Republican whose current district was virtually eliminated in the new California redistricting map, said Wednesday he’ll seek re-election and run in the GOP-dominated 40th District.
Calvert has represented a Riverside County-based district since 1993. But the new lines pour lots of Democrats into what would be his new district – so many, that Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan group that analyzes House races, has moved the 2026 contest there from “leans Republican” to “safe Democratic.”
The 40th, an Orange County-based district represented by Rep. Young Kim, a Republican, is considered far friendlier territory.
The Crystal Ball said that under the new lines, that district is “safe Republican.”
It said Calvert’s current Riverside County district “is effectively eliminated, re-emerging in Los Angeles as a safe Democratic Latino-majority seat.”
A Calvert loss would be a blow to what little congressional clout California has in the GOP. He chairs the defense appropriations subcommittee, which writes the Pentagon’s spending bills.
Wednesday, he concentrated on stressing his local roots. He lives in the new district and currently represents about half of it.
“Californians in the newly drawn 40th District deserve a proven conservative they can trust and a fighter who has delivered results for Riverside and Orange County for decades,” Calvert said.
“I’ve lived here my entire life and already represent the majority of this district in Congress. I look forward to helping President Trump to deliver lower taxes, to bring down housing costs, secure our borders, make our streets safe and bring real results for the families of this district for years to come,” he said.
Proposition 50 was aimed at making five Republican-held districts easier for Democrats to win. In the Third District, which includes part of the Sacramento area, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, said Wednesday he’s unsure where he will run in 2026.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 11:08 AM.
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