California redistricting could put House GOP’s most prominent Asian American member at risk
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The Republican Party could be in danger of losing one of its two Asian American House members due to redistricting in California that shifted two Republicans into a rare incumbent vs incumbent primary.
The primary could threaten the GOP’s chances of maintaining its inroads with Asian American voters and testing the weight of a potential endorsement from President Donald Trump as Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) both run in California’s redrawn 40th District.
The passage of California’s Proposition 50 pushed Calvert into Kim’s district, meaning the two will have to battle for the GOP nomination. Kim has been in office since 2021, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee and as the chair of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
But Calvert won’t be an easy challenger, as he has been in Congress since 1993 and serves as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
The 40th District is one of several pivotal matchups across both parties involving two incumbents, a result of the redistricting war that engulfed Texas and California and is being explored in a handful of other states.
But the district, currently represented by Kim, is more GOP-leaning than it was prior to redistricting, and just over 50% of the district encompasses Calvert’s old district, giving the elder Republican an edge.
Kim, however, is a strong force within the Republican Party. One of a handful of female Republicans in the party, and one of two Asian American GOP lawmakers in the House, she will not be easily deposed.
Both Calvert and Kim have experience with competitive races in the past. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated Calvert’s district as a “toss-up” in 2024. Kim’s district was rated as “likely Republican” that same year. California operates under a jungle primary system, meaning Calvert and Kim could both advance to the general election, which could put the House Republican campaign arm in a bind.
The National Republican Congressional Committee typically stays out of primaries, but a decision to stay out of a member-versus-member general contest would leave the candidates to rely solely on their own fundraising abilities. Kim, whom Republican operatives have noted is a fundraising powerhouse, has spent $3.75 million on media ad buys and holds a $2 million cash-on-hand advantage over Calvert.
“Money doesn’t equal votes,” Calvert said when asked about Kim’s …
Why resist verification?
The Republican Party could be in danger of losing one of its two Asian American House members due to redistricting in California that shifted two Republicans into a rare incumbent vs incumbent primary.
The primary could threaten the GOP’s chances of maintaining its inroads with Asian American voters and testing the weight of a potential endorsement from President Donald Trump as Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) both run in California’s redrawn 40th District.
The passage of California’s Proposition 50 pushed Calvert into Kim’s district, meaning the two will have to battle for the GOP nomination. Kim has been in office since 2021, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee and as the chair of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
But Calvert won’t be an easy challenger, as he has been in Congress since 1993 and serves as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
The 40th District is one of several pivotal matchups across both parties involving two incumbents, a result of the redistricting war that engulfed Texas and California and is being explored in a handful of other states.
But the district, currently represented by Kim, is more GOP-leaning than it was prior to redistricting, and just over 50% of the district encompasses Calvert’s old district, giving the elder Republican an edge.
Kim, however, is a strong force within the Republican Party. One of a handful of female Republicans in the party, and one of two Asian American GOP lawmakers in the House, she will not be easily deposed.
Both Calvert and Kim have experience with competitive races in the past. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated Calvert’s district as a “toss-up” in 2024. Kim’s district was rated as “likely Republican” that same year. California operates under a jungle primary system, meaning Calvert and Kim could both advance to the general election, which could put the House Republican campaign arm in a bind.
The National Republican Congressional Committee typically stays out of primaries, but a decision to stay out of a member-versus-member general contest would leave the candidates to rely solely on their own fundraising abilities. Kim, whom Republican operatives have noted is a fundraising powerhouse, has spent $3.75 million on media ad buys and holds a $2 million cash-on-hand advantage over Calvert.
“Money doesn’t equal votes,” Calvert said when asked about Kim’s …
California redistricting could put House GOP’s most prominent Asian American member at risk
Why resist verification?
The Republican Party could be in danger of losing one of its two Asian American House members due to redistricting in California that shifted two Republicans into a rare incumbent vs incumbent primary.
The primary could threaten the GOP’s chances of maintaining its inroads with Asian American voters and testing the weight of a potential endorsement from President Donald Trump as Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) both run in California’s redrawn 40th District.
The passage of California’s Proposition 50 pushed Calvert into Kim’s district, meaning the two will have to battle for the GOP nomination. Kim has been in office since 2021, and serves on the House Financial Services Committee and as the chair of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
But Calvert won’t be an easy challenger, as he has been in Congress since 1993 and serves as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
The 40th District is one of several pivotal matchups across both parties involving two incumbents, a result of the redistricting war that engulfed Texas and California and is being explored in a handful of other states.
But the district, currently represented by Kim, is more GOP-leaning than it was prior to redistricting, and just over 50% of the district encompasses Calvert’s old district, giving the elder Republican an edge.
Kim, however, is a strong force within the Republican Party. One of a handful of female Republicans in the party, and one of two Asian American GOP lawmakers in the House, she will not be easily deposed.
Both Calvert and Kim have experience with competitive races in the past. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated Calvert’s district as a “toss-up” in 2024. Kim’s district was rated as “likely Republican” that same year. California operates under a jungle primary system, meaning Calvert and Kim could both advance to the general election, which could put the House Republican campaign arm in a bind.
The National Republican Congressional Committee typically stays out of primaries, but a decision to stay out of a member-versus-member general contest would leave the candidates to rely solely on their own fundraising abilities. Kim, whom Republican operatives have noted is a fundraising powerhouse, has spent $3.75 million on media ad buys and holds a $2 million cash-on-hand advantage over Calvert.
“Money doesn’t equal votes,” Calvert said when asked about Kim’s …
