# CA-40 — 2026 U.S. House Race ## PRIMARY RESULT — Republican-on-Republican general set (June 2, 2026) California's June 2 top-two primary produced an **all-Republican November general**: **[[Ken Calvert]]** finished first (~36.1%) and **[[Young Kim]]** second (~21.6%), eliminating Democrat Esther Kim-Varet (~15.6%). After the [[Gavin Newsom]]-backed **Proposition 50** redraw packed Republican voters into the new CA-40, two GOP incumbents were drawn into the same seat — guaranteeing that one veteran House Republican loses in November regardless of outcome. **Key takeaway:** This is the marquee "Prop 50 casualty" race — a deliberate effect of the Democratic gerrymander that, by making CA-40 safely Republican, forced [[Ken Calvert]] (whose old CA-41 collapsed) and [[Young Kim]] into a cannibal contest. See [[CA-41-2026]] for the companion seat. ## Snapshot A sprawling region southeast of Los Angeles — Orange County suburbs, parts of Riverside County, and Santa Ana mountain communities. Cook PVI **R+1** on paper, but the redrawn district is roughly **10 points more Republican** than the old CA-40 by 2024 presidential numbers, the product of Democratic mapmakers packing GOP voters here to make neighboring seats bluer. Cook now rates it **Solid Republican**; the only question is which Republican wins. ## The candidates (both incumbents) - **[[Ken Calvert]]** (R), 72 — the longest-serving Republican in California's delegation (~33 years), an appropriations power. Declared for the redrawn CA-40 after his old CA-41 shifted sharply Democratic under Prop 50. Finished first in the primary (~36.1%, 41,082 votes). **Trump endorsed Calvert twice**; he brands himself "the only real, true Trump conservative" in the race. - **[[Young Kim]]** (R), 63 — in roughly her sixth year in the House; the incumbent of record for CA-40. Advanced second (~21.6%, 24,605 votes). Leads on cash and pitches generational change ("time for new blood"). - **Esther Kim-Varet** (D) — first-time candidate and contemporary-art dealer; raised $2.8M+ on 60,000+ small-dollar donations but finished third (~15.6%) and was eliminated. A split Democratic field helped both Republicans clear the top two. ## Ratings history | Outlet | Current | Prior | Shift | |---|---|---|---| | [[Cook Political Report]] | Solid Republican | (old CA-40 competitive) | Prop 50 packing, late 2025 | | Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | — | Post-Prop 50 | | Inside Elections | Solid Republican | — | Post-Prop 50 | **Context**: Prop 50 drove 11 California rating changes at Cook; CA-40 was sacrificed to GOP packing so that surrounding seats could be made more Democratic. ## Key dates - **June 2, 2026** — top-two primary — completed (Calvert 1st, Kim 2nd) - **July 10, 2026** — certification (late mail/provisional counting may shift percentages, not the order) - **November 3, 2026** — General election (Calvert vs. Kim) ## Money | Candidate | Q1 2026 Raised | COH | |---|---|---| | Young Kim (R) | ~$1.3M | ~$5.8M | | Ken Calvert (R) | $5.7M+ through mid-May (spent $3.6M+) | trailing Kim on cash | Kim holds a multimillion-dollar cash advantage; Calvert holds the Trump endorsement and appropriations clout. Total spending across the race exceeded $17M by one tracker. ## Intel notes - **Prop 50 created this race.** The Newsom-backed redraw expanded California's Democratic edge and collapsed Calvert's CA-41 and Kim's CA-40 into one safe-R seat, forcing two incumbents to run against each other. - **A guaranteed GOP loss.** One veteran California House Republican will lose in November regardless — an intended effect of the Democratic gerrymander. - **Trump signaling vs. cash.** Calvert leads on the (double) Trump endorsement and seniority; Kim leads on money and a generational-change pitch. It's effectively a Trump-loyalty test inside the GOP. - **No Democrat in the general.** November turns on geography (Calvert represents ~51% of the new district, Kim ~35%), incumbency loyalty, and which Republican wins over the other's former constituents. ## Related KB entities - [[Young Kim]] — incumbent of record, advanced second - [[Ken Calvert]] — drawn-in incumbent, finished first - [[CA-41-2026]] — companion Prop 50 seat - [[Gavin Newsom]] — Prop 50 sponsor - [[2026 House Races Hub]] — overview ## Sources - [Ballotpedia — CA-40 top-two primary, 2026](https://ballotpedia.org/California's_40th_Congressional_District_election,_2026_(June_2_top-two_primary)) - [Washington Examiner — CA-40 primary result](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4590386/california-40th-congressional-district-primary-result-ken-calvert-young-kim/) - [CBS News LA — Kim advances in CA-40](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/caliornia-40-congressional-district-race-young-kim-ken-calvert-2026/) - [California SoS — CA-40 returns](https://dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/us-rep/district/40) - [Cook Political Report — California map spurs 11 ratings changes](https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/redistricting/californias-newly-passed-map-spurs-11-ratings-changes) - [KQED — how Prop 50 rewrote California's 2026 map](https://www.kqed.org/news/12064834/how-prop-50-just-rewrote-californias-2026-congressional-map) - [NOTUS — two House Republicans in CA-40](https://www.notus.org/2026-election/two-house-republicans-california-40th-district)