Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican member of California’s congressional delegation, will return to the U.S. House of Representatives next year after defeating Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in a hotly contested race to represent a Riverside County swing district.
Calvert’s narrow victory comes amid a decisive rightward shift in American politics, with voters sending President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House and Republicans seizing control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats.
The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday, though official results will take more time. Calvert’s win brought the House within one vote of Republican control, according to the Associated Press. The GOP captured control of the Senate last week.
Calvert declared victory Monday, saying in a statement posted on social media that “this is a hard-fought victory that shows voters want someone who will put results over partisan politics.”
“Together, we’ll continue working to secure our border, bring down prices for working families, and ensure law enforcement has all the tools they need to keep our communities safe,” he wrote.
That night, Rollins did not concede, writing in a statement that mailed and conditional ballots were still being counted and that the race was “too close to call.”
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 House 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.
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.
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.
