California 40th Congressional District — U.S. House
November 3, 2026 General Election — Calvert (R) vs. Kim (R), an incumbent-vs-incumbent runoff
District: CA-40 was dramatically redrawn under the Proposition 50 redistricting measure. It blends pieces of the old CA-40 (Young Kim) and CA-41 (Ken Calvert), stretching from Mission Viejo in Orange County up through Corona — which the new line splits in half — into Riverside County's Woodcrest, Menifee, and Murrieta. Voter registration: ~39% GOP, ~31% Dem, ~21% NPP — a solidly Republican district that Trump carried by ~12 points. The twist: because of the redraw, two sitting Republican incumbents — Calvert (formerly CA-41) and Kim (formerly CA-40) — both advanced to the general election, making this the rare all-Republican runoff. Whichever Republican wins is overwhelmingly expected to hold the seat for the GOP, so the race matters mostly to the national House majority arithmetic (each party counts it as a safe Republican seat).
Judges on your ballot: CA-40 sits entirely in the 4th Appellate District (Orange & Riverside counties), so every CA-40 voter sees the same 15 Court of Appeal questions plus the 2 Supreme Court questions →.
Also on your ballot: Beyond Congress and the judges, CA-40 voters decide a State Senate race — District 32 (Seyarto vs. Tate) — and a State Assembly race — District 71 (Sanchez vs. Galvez), which covers Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita. Riverside County voters also choose countywide offices: Assessor-Clerk-Recorder, Auditor-Controller, and Superior Court Office No. 10 →
Ken Calvert Rep Age 73 Incumbent — 17th term
U.S. Representative (currently CA-41) • Corona
The longest-serving Republican in California's congressional delegation — first elected in 1992 and never defeated. Corona native; San Diego State graduate. Sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and chairs its Defense subcommittee; authored the E-Verify employment-verification system. Represents about 51% of the new district — the geographical advantage over Kim in a race where old turf and name ID decide more than ideology. Raised $5.2M in the primary ($3.7M cash on hand).
Top Issues / Platform
- Defense & national security — Appropriations chairmanship drives Inland base and defense jobs
- Border security — expand E-Verify, enforce immigration law
- Water & wildfire — storage, forest management, fire prevention
- Economy — lower taxes, cut regulations and spending
- Backs the Trump agenda; tipped as committee-consolidated establishment pick
Key Endorsements
- Americans for Tax Reform
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- National Association of Manufacturers
- National Federation of Independent Business
- Represents 51% of the new district's voters by prior residence
Read on the race
- Strengths: 33+ years of institutional power, the Appropriations chair, and majority of the district's old voters.
- Weaknesses: long tenure invites "career politician" framing; must introduce himself to voters in Kim's old Orange County turf; a divisive all-GOP general.
Young Kim Rep Age 63 Incumbent
U.S. Representative (currently CA-40) • La Habra / Fullerton
First Korean American woman elected to Congress (won her seat in 2020; the redrawn district she represents was renumbered CA-40 in 2023). Immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea as a teenager; USC degrees; small-business experience; worked for former Rep. Ed Royce for more than 20 years before winning a state Assembly seat (2014–16). Serves on the House Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and China committees. The best-funded candidate in the race — raised $7.6M ($5.8M cash on hand). Represents ~35% of the new district, anchored in her Orange County base.
Top Issues / Platform
- Cost of living — fight inflation, lower gas prices, support small business
- National security — counter China, strengthen the military
- Wildfire mitigation — Brush Fires Act, forest management
- Border security — enforce the law, stop fentanyl
- Bipartisan-problem-solver brand she built in swing districts
Key Endorsements
- House Republican leadership
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Co-sponsor of bipartisan wildfire legislation
- Outraised every other candidate in the district
Read on the race
- Strengths: best-funded, a moderate GOP brand, and deep ties in Orange County — the swing-voter-friendly profile that has carried her through three competitive races.
- Weaknesses: Newer member with less seniority; no Appropriations seat; represents a smaller share of the new district than Calvert; the all-Republican runoff narrows her crossover appeal.
Bottom line: This is effectively two Republican primaries joined into a general election. The two candidates split nearly all the same GOP base, so turnout discipline and old-district loyalty (Calvert holds 51% of the turf, Kim 35%) will decide it. Nonpartisan raters treat the seat as safe Republican for House-control math regardless of who wins.
Sources
- Ballotpedia — CA-40 (June 2 top-two primary) candidate evaluations
- FEC — CA-40 campaign finance filings (2026 cycle)
- Orange County Register / LA Times primary voter guides
- CalMatters — Proposition 50 redistricting coverage
- Official Secretary of State certified list of qualified candidates (2026 general)