Democrat Will Rollins is planning a rematch with Republican Congressman Ken Calvert in the 2024 election for California's 41st district after one close race in 2022.
According to Twitter, Rollins' last battle against this long-time incumbent happened in 2022 and ended in a narrow victory for Calvert (R-Corona) who took the lead by approximately 4.5%.
"In 2022, we gave Ken Calvert the closest midterm race of his career. Now, I'm back in the fight for 2024. I'm running for Congress because it's time for a new generation of leadership that brings Democrats, Republicans and Independents together to finally put people over politics and profits," Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, said on Twitter.
The breakdown on the 2022 election tally, according to The Desert Sun, shows Rollins met defeat by approximately 11,000 votes out of more than 236,000 total votes cast. The 41st district they are fighting over today finds the Coachella Valley divided as a result of restructuring in 2021, the article said. The new boundaries mean Calvert is serving parts of the Coachella Valley for the first time—areas including Palm Springs, La Quinta and Palm Desert. This has represented change for Calvert, an active congressman since the 1990s, as his territory now extends from west of Coachella Valley to Corona, Menifee and other sections of Riverside County.
As far as the issues, Rollins remains steadfast in his criticism of the voting record set by Calvert, whom according to the article, he sees as resistant toward LGBTQ equality and siding with former President Donald Trump more than once.
The Desert Sun reports that Rollins cited Calvert's posture on equality as out of character with the LGBTQ-welcoming atmosphere in Palm Springs, considering it a disconnect with community values. Rollins said in a statement that his campaign "will end (Calvert's) corruption-riddled political career and usher in a new generation of leadership that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents to solve the biggest problems facing our Riverside County communities."
With the primary contest ahead, Rollins has won numerous endorsements that might set him apart, according to The Desert Sun. These include former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all three of California's leading U.S. Senate candidates. Another Rollins' endorsement has come from former U.S. Senator and Valley resident Barbara Boxer.