Two veteran Republicans members of Congress – Young Kim and Ken Calvert – have announced their intention to run for re-election in the 40th Congressional District, as drawn by the new congressional map taking effect as a consequence of the passage of Proposition 50.
Proposition 50 throws out the congressional districts drawn just a few years ago by the state’s independent, non-partisan redistricting committee. It is the political brainchild of Gov. Gavin Newsom and a panoply of powerful Democratic special interests, who spent tens of millions of dollars on a cynical campaign claiming Prop. 50 was about “saving democracy.”
The state’s redistricting commission was created by a voter-approved initiative for the explicit purpose of avoiding partisan gerrymanders like Proposition 50.
The Kim v. Calvert intra-party face-off is the most immediate political fallout from Prop. 50’s passage.
Young Kim has served in Congress since January 3, 2021. She currently represents what was the 40th District, having previously served the 39th after her 2020 election victory. The geography of her current district covers parts of Orange County (northern and eastern segments) and portions of Riverside County.
Ken Calvert is one of the longest‐serving Republicans in California’s delegation. He first entered the U.S. House in 1993 (elected in 1992) and has served continuously since then. He currently represents the 41st Congressional District (as drawn under recent maps) which covers a substantial portion of Riverside County, extending into parts of southwestern San Bernardino County and into parts of Orange County.
“Gavin Newsom and Democrats in Sacramento made partisan deals behind closed doors to redraw districts in ways that benefit themselves and their allies, not voters,” Kim said in a statement on social media. “I’m running because it is clear we need an America First champion to take the fight to the radical Democrats and help President Trump unleash the Golden Age.”
In his own social media statement, Calvert pointed to his years of service and said the “newly drawn 40th District is where I was born and raised. I’ve had the honor of serving the overwhelming majority of these communities and delivering results for both Riverside and Orange Counties.”
The newly drawn CA-40 is a safe Republican seat that overlaps substantially with significant parts of Calvert’s current 41st District — local observers estimate that more than half of Calvert’s existing territory falls into the new CA-40. Kim’s prior district likewise overlaps the new CA-40, but to a lesser degree — one report estimates that roughly 35 % of her current territory falls within the newly drawn boundary. As a result, both incumbents now say they intend to run in CA-40 in 2026 rather than remain in their existing seats.
Another variable in the race: Darrell Issa has been mentioned as a potential candidate for CA-40. Observers note that under the new map his existing district picked up a large chunk of registered Democrats, making him consider alternate districts such as CA-40.
In short, the passage of Proposition 50 appears to have triggered a game of musical chairs among incumbents in Southern California’s Republican delegation. With Kim and Calvert both declaring for the newly drawn CA-40, and Issa potentially entering, the 2026 Republican primary in CA-40 is shaping up to be a major battleground — albeit one shaped by what critics call a partisan manoeuvre by Governor Newsom and his allies.
