The highly competitive U.S. House race in Riverside County between Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving GOP member of California’s congressional delegation, and Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, was too close to call on election night.
The race between Calvert and Rollins to represent California’s 41st Congressional District, which stretches from the sprawling city of Corona to the resorts and golf courses of the Coachella Valley, had been considered a toss-up. It was one of several California races seen as influential in determining which party will control the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
The contest attracted national attention, with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana traveling to Riverside County to stump for Calvert, and former President Trump rallying nearby at a Coachella Valley polo field.
For decades, Calvert, who has held office since 1993, largely coasted to reelection in what was once a safely conservative district. But recent redistricting excised GOP havens such as Temecula and Murrieta and added liberal Palm Springs, home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of LGBTQ+ voters, making the district a political battleground.
In 2022, Rollins, 40, ran a competitive campaign in the newly redrawn district, losing by less than 5% of the vote.
Rollins grew up in Manhattan Beach. He said the 9/11 terrorist attacks sparked his interest in public service. Rollins considered joining the military but decided not to because he feared being outed or discharged as a closeted gay man under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy at the time. He instead focused on national security at the U.S. Justice Department.
Calvert, a 71-year-old Corona native, is chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon budget. He wrote legislation that created the E-Verify system, which employers can use to check the immigration status of new hires. Supporters have lauded him for securing funding for local transportation and infrastructure projects and the region’s military facilities.
