Kim and Calvert downplay Trump in race for redrawn California district

Republican Reps. Young Kim and Ken Calvert have reduced President Donald Trump's prominence in their campaigns for California's redrawn 40th Congressional District, according to NBC Los Angeles. The district includes eastern Orange County and extends into the Inland Empire.

The Republican-versus-Republican contest puts congressional representation for eastern Orange County at stake following a statewide redraw of district boundaries. Primary results showed similar support for the candidates in Orange County but a substantial advantage for Calvert in the district's Riverside County portion.

Kim and Calvert claimed the top two spots in the June primary. Calvert received nearly 35% of the vote and Kim approximately 20%, NBC Los Angeles reported. Orange County voters gave them similar levels of support, while voters in the Riverside County section strongly favored Calvert.

According to the report, California voters approved new congressional boundaries the previous year to benefit Democrats and counter Trump's redistricting efforts. Calvert opted for the redrawn 40th District after his former 41st District was reshaped toward Los Angeles County.

Kim removed references to Trump from her campaign website after identifying herself with him during the primary campaign, the outlet reported. Calvert's website does not name Trump, though the president appears in clips in a campaign video.

NBC Los Angeles cited a Pew Research Center survey showing 68% of Americans disapproved of Trump's job performance and 30% approved. The report suggested affordability concerns and declining presidential approval could help explain the shift in campaign messaging; it did not establish the candidates' reasons.

Kim, first elected to Congress in 2020, took office in 2021 after previously serving in the California State Assembly. She supports fiscal conservatism and a citizenship pathway for DACA recipients. Calvert, first elected in 1992, highlights billions of dollars in federal funding for constituents. He also signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge opposing tax increases and voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The supplied NBC Los Angeles report describes campaign strategy and primary voting patterns, not a general election result. Its publication metadata and references to election timing are inconsistent, so it does not establish the outcome of the November contest.