Two Republicans to face off in redrawn California district

Under California law, the top two vote getters in each race in the June 2 primary advance to the Nov. 3 general election, regardless of party affiliation.

District 40

U.S. Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, both Republicans, are projected to head to the Nov. 3 election in the 40th Congressional District. Kim and Calvert traded sharp barbs throughout the primary election process.

Kim celebrated the projected win in a statement posted to social media. She criticized Calvert’s record in the U.S. House and his funding mechanisms.

“After more than three decades in Washington, it is time for fresh conservative leadership,” Kim said in a statement. “I will continue fighting to root out fraud, secure borders, for safer, more affordable communities, and a stronger economy.”

Calvert, the longest serving Republican congressman from California and chair of the Defense Appropriations Committee, has been aided in the race from political action committees aligned with defense interests. The Americans 4 Security PAC launched a $2.9 million spending campaign against Kim during the primary election.

Kim’s campaign said Calvert used this money to attack her and prop up another Democrat in the race. Chris Pack, a spokesman for Kim’s campaign, said Calvert is not prepared to face Kim in November.

“They lit that money on fire and now have to face one of the most tested and proven Republicans in the nation,” Pack said. “The electorate is in our favor and the numbers don’t lie. We are ready and spoiling for a fight.”

Kim has received more than $6.6 million toward her campaign, according to the most recent Federal Elections Commission filings. She received $2,000 contributions from the Goldman Sachs PAC, CitiGroup PAC and Bank of America Federal Corporation PAC.

Kim introduced the PACE Act, legislation that would allow banks and payments companies to get approved for federal registration without using other payment companies in between.

“This means we're going to build a faster, more efficient, more secure payment system that works better for everyday Americans,” Kim said.

District 22

Randy Villegas, a college professor, overcame California Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a fellow Democrat who is also a physician. He will face off against Incumbent Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., in the November general election.

Villegas told The Center Square his campaign has resonated with voters in the central valley because he is not a career politician.

“We cannot win this election by trading one corrupt representative who sold out our communities for another,” Villegas said.

Villegas supported the implementation of what he called a “progressive tax structure” and a 0% interest rate structure for homebuyers.

“Over the long term, we've got to make sure that we are taxing billionaires and millionaires and making sure that they're paying their fair share,” Villegas said. “These are not questions of whether we have the money to do these things. It’s a question of whether we have the political will and the political courage to fight for these policies and that’s what our campaign is committed to do.”

In April, Valadao introduced legislation to reduce administrative barriers for farmers and ranchers to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“By expanding access to fresh, locally-grown food for lower-income families and opening new markets for producers, we can both strengthen our agricultural economy and improve food access across the valley,” Valadao said.

Villegas has raised more than $1.7 million toward the campaign, according to most recent FEC filings. He has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-New York, and Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, in the general election.

Valadao has a sizable fundraising lead over Villegas, with more than $2.8 million in contributions. He received contributions from Dominion Energy PAC, the American Israel Public Affairs PAC and California Dairies PAC.

Candidates in the redrawn districts will head to the Nov. 3 general election in races that could determine the success of Proposition 50 for California’s congressional Democrats. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority, and Democrats could take control of the House by flipping a few seats.