Where civilization meets the desert in California, there is a Congressional district with a tired, longtime incumbent and an energetic and outstanding challenger. That challenger only came close to winning in 2022, hampered by dismal performances by other California Democrats. In 2024, that energetic challenger is back and this time he has risen to near national prominence.
Meet Will Rollins, the former prosecutor who is making the case against that do-nothing longtime legislator named Rep. Ken Calvert.
The stakes of this race could not be higher, as this seat is at the forefront of Democratic chances of flipping control of the House of Representatives. Rollins lays out the stakes of this race with Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast. Will Rollins goes first, so you don’t have to listen to the entire podcast!
Rollins is in it to win it, and he is a seasoned campaigner this time around. Question is, can Will Rollins make the case against MAGA Rep. Ken Calvert?
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Rep. Ken Calvert is part of what I am calling the #MAGADozen. These Republicans in GOP-leaning swing districts are full-throated MAGA supporters and can be beaten. Will Rollins is one of the challengers I am fundraising for.
Will Rollins for California-41
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What’s the Big Idea?
THIS RACE IS A TOSSUP, with an R+3 PVI
This district somehow is a community of interest, despite it being oddly shaped and containing two distinct regions.
This district is an oddly shaped amalgam of cities and exurbs found in the Inland Empire. The district starts with Norco and Corona, then travels southeast to the exurb of Menifee. A branch of the district travels north through sparsely populated areas to pick up Calimesa on the border with San Bernardino County. Finally, the district continues eastward to the Coachella Valley to pick up Palm Springs and some suburbs. I don’t see how it is a community of interest, but it is how it is drawn.
From the Will Rollins for Congress website:
Last election, redistricting made CA-41 one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country — and the district is trending more blue. As recently as March of 2022, Republicans held a voter registration advantage (-264). Now, as of the April 25th voter registration update, Democrats hold a voter registration advantage (+3,183). In 2016, President Trump won the district by 4 points with 50.6%, and in 2020, he only won it by 1 point with 49.6%. With recent voter registration changes, it’s highly likely that CA-41 will be a Biden district in 2024.
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According to independent reporting from data expert David Shor, Will Rollins was the 3rd most over-performing Democratic challenger in the nation in 2022. And according to independent reporting from California analyst Vance Ulrich, Rollins was the only Democratic challenger in the state to win the vote from “No Party Preference” voters.
Rep. Ken Calvert won by a margin of 52.3% to 47.7%, an under-performance in a year which Democrats did terribly in California. I am bullish on the chances of Will Rollins to flip this district.
Here’s where this race will be won in the 41st district.
- Coachella Valley: This valley is the Democratic anchor of the district, with many liberal retirees and an LGBTQ+ community being found in the area. It is vital that Rollins run up the score in very blue Palm Springs, while also winning the rest of the towns nearby, which are swingy.
- Corona: This is where Calvert is from, and it is his home base. Biden narrowly won the city, and Rollins will have to match that margin if he is to have any chance of ousting Calvert. That is a task that is easier said than done, as the incumbent has 30 years of goodwill built up here.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Menifee: These exurbs are at the center of the district, and they also are some of the most Republican areas of the district. Biden actually won Lake Elsinore in 2020, so Rollins has to match that. The rest of the area in the middle is strongly GOP in voting.
- Calimesa, Cherry Valley: The odd northern spur of the district is also a place where the GOP has plenty of voters that are not enamored of the Democratic Party. Luckily, the total population in these areas is small, so the impact of this portion of the district isn’t too serious.
- Norco: This city near Corona is heavily GOP, and it also has a decent population. Calvert is very likely going to run up the score in this city, but Rollins must cut into his advantage here. Matching the Biden numbers would be a good start.
Who is Will Rollins?
Rollins is discussing issues with some constituents. He has been living in CA-41 most of his life.
If you really want a handle on Will Rollins, watch this lengthy interview with Meidas Touch. Bear with me now, because it covers much more than I can in the next two segments.
Rollins wanted to join the military upon leaving high school, but as a closeted gay youth in the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era, he was afraid of being outed. 9/11 spurred him to serve his country in some fashion, so he joined law enforcement and the counter-terrorism unit of the Department of Justice. He’s also been an ADA in California, and has prosecuted many prominent cases in his time at both jobs. He would be a more moderate Democratic member of Congress if elected, as the New Democratic Coalition has endorsed him.
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Combating Disinformation. One of the most unique issues for Rollins is his stance on social media companies and disinformation. He calls for a modern Fairness Doctrine, a requirement for more transparency in advertising, and to hold social media companies accountable for peddling lies and disinformation.
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Defending Democracy. Rollins has prosecuted those involved in QAnon and January 6th. He would support the John Lewis VRA and the For the People Act. He also wants to kick-start campaign finance reform and calls for an undoing of Citizens United. Both Let America Vote and End Citizens United have endorsed his campaign for Congress.
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LGBTQ+ Advocate. This is a HUGE bundle of issues with Palm Springs, a mecca for the community, in the district. He would champion the Equality Act to restrict religious bigotry as an excuse to discriminate, and work to increase funding for HIV/AIDS research that has been put at risk by MAGA Republicans. Many LGBTQ+ groups have endorsed Rollins’ campaign.
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Protecting Abortion Rights. Rollins would be another vote to codify Roe into law, and he would be a bulwark against a national abortion ban and a contraception ban as proposed by MAGA. He also mentions that the right to travel for abortions is increasingly under attack as well. Reproductive Freedom for All has endorsed his campaign for Congress.
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Climate Crisis. The Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire are at great risk from climate change. Rollins supports incentives for wind and solar energy, promoting energy efficiency, tackling polluters and working on improving water infrastructure in the Southwestern US. The League of Conservation Voters and CA Environmental Voters have endorsed him.
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Better Roads and Infrastructure. If you’ve ever been to southern California, you know how bad it is there. Rollins would support the Build Back Better agenda and steer precious resources to better roads and other transportation infrastructure in the Los Angeles area. He won’t be a member of Congress who “votes no and takes the dough”.
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Gun Safety Champion. Rollins knows from his days as a prosecutor that the epidemic of weapons in this country must be curbed. He supports red flag laws, bans on large capacity magazines, raising the age of purchase for some types of firearms, and safe gun storage rules. He also mentions an assault weapons ban and enhanced background checks on his site.
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Lower Costs for Families. Rollins calls for a return of the SALT deduction, which was ripped away by Trump. He also calls for ending incentives to ship jobs overseas, an increase of the minimum wage to $15/hr, and making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Many unions have endorsed his campaign, so he may be supportive of the PRO Act
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Caring for Seniors. Retirees make another important constituency in the district, and Rollins plans to deliver. He calls for an expansion of Social Security, lowering the Medicare age and adding more benefits, expanding Medicaid home and community based services, and cracking down on shoddy corporate nursing homes by holding them accountable.
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Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Rollins would provide a path to citizenship for DACA recipients while also securing the border to curb illegal immigration. He would also overhaul work permits so that they aren’t abused but also provide a path for immigrants to work the jobs few others will do.
Who is Rep. Ken Calvert?
Rep. Ken Calvert has an abhorrent voting record stretching over 30 years. It is time to retire him!
Rep. Ken Calvert has been in office for over 30 years now and he has been in the political world for a lot longer. He worked as a Congressional intern in the early 1970s and then received a degree from San Diego State University. He spent some time managing the family restaurant and working in real estate before running for Congress in 1992. He had some close races in his first decade in office, but hadn’t been seriously challenged until 2022. He had been seen more as a traditional Republican but has turned hard MAGA recently.
- Election Denier. Calvert was one of the 147 Republicans who chose to vote against certifying the 2020 election, even after the heinous 1/6 insurrection. He said “during difficult and divisive times in our nation I believe we must follow the Constitution. That's why today I lent my voice to the millions of Americans and my constituents who are deeply concerned by the integrity of the election...”
- Religious Bigot. Calvert did support the Respect for Marriage Act, but don’t be fooled. LGBTQ+ advocates believe that vote was to save his own skin. The longer record is him going against the rights of people who are LGTBQ+. Recently, he voted to strip funding from centers that serve food to LGBTQ+ seniors in his own district.
- Shady Real Estate Deals. Calvert is a classic pork barrel appropriator, and he has used the power of the purse to enrich himself by about $20M more than when he first entered Congress. This includes some shady real estate deals, which are discussed in the political ad below. According to Rollins, even Fox News has covered how shady this incumbent is!
- Forced Birth Maniac. Calvert has scrubbed all mentions of abortion from his campaign website and his issues page on his Congressional website. However, his forced birth record still can be found in other places. It includes promoting the scam of “pregnancy crisis centers”, voting for legislation like the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act”, and having a 100% rating from National Right to Life Committee.
- Immigration Hardliner. Gone are the days where Calvert can create legislation such as e-Verify. Instead, he takes a more punitive approach to undocumented immigrants. For instance, he would punish sanctuary cities and require local cities to respond to ICE demands on whether immigrants are jailed there. He is also a proponent of building Trump’s border wall.
- Tax Cut Terror. Calvert is concerned about the debt and is a deficit peacock, but his record shows he truly doesn’t care a whit about that. He voted for the budget-busting Trump tax cuts, also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He also voted against the Inflation Reduction Act which actually did reduce the deficit!
- Infrastructure Hypocrite. Calvert is notorious for “voting no and taking the dough”. His records page touts all sorts of appropriations successes, including ones from bills such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that he voted against! He is usually opposed to such legislation, but adds earmarks to the bills to stay in the good graces in the district.
- 2nd Amendment Zealot. Calvert is the legislator in California that has received the most campaign contributions from the NRA. He has an “A” rating from the gun rights organization. He voted for the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act”, which requires states to allow concealed carry in any state that authorizes it.
- Climate Crisis. Calvert supports tepid measures to address the climate crisis, but he also promotes the fossil fuel industry in order to gain energy independence. Instead of quickly moving away from Big Oil to solve the climate crisis, he slows down progress with an incremental approach that is too little, too late. Best thing I can say is that he isn’t a climate denier.
How Can You Help?
Southern California seems a world away from my keyboard in Michigan and may be far from your location, but there are several ways of helping Will Rollins out. All you need to do is give a small donation to his fight against Rep. Ken Calvert and you have helped plenty! It doesn’t have to be a huge donation either. A $1 or $3 recurring donation makes a difference in an expensive market. It also increases the number of small donors, one factor in getting larger donations from more affluent supporters and transfers from political committees. The DCCC is committed to helping Rollins out in any way possible.
Will Rollins is a fundraising superstar. In the last quarter of 2023, he raised a gargantuan sum of $1.09M, and had $2.23M cash on hand. This follows him raising $831k in the Q3 period as well! Rep. Ken Calvert is keeping up with the challenger, raising $779k in Q4, while amassing a stockpile of $2.48M to spend. Folks, this will be a VERY expensive race! Rollins will need every penny he can get!
If you live in southern California, there are many Congressional races to volunteer for. Each one has a different chance of succeeding, with this race being near the top of the list for flipping. Volunteer before the weather gets too unbearable, as the Inland Empire does get hot over the summer and climate scientists expect a scorcher this year. Some volunteer roles can be done indoors, such as data entry.
If you want to help without leaving the comfort of your home or spending any cash, there is boosting Will Rollins on social media. He’s been making the right moves — doing a listening tour, sending attacking volleys against Calvert, and getting himself out there to do interviews. It is clear his social media team is top notch!
On Twitter, Will Rollins has 20.3k followers, which is a robust amount for a challenger. Sure, he is helped by the fact that this is his second challenge in a row of Calvert, but I’ve seen plenty of repeat challengers who have nowhere near this many followers. His first attack of 2024 against Rep. Ken Calvert is below, and it is a bit cheesy but still effective.
His Facebook account only has 3.2k followers, which is less than what I expected. There is definitely room for him to grow on that platform, and you can help be a part of that growth. It seems that his Facebook page has less content on it when compared to his Twitter feed. Here, he shows many of his stops on his listening tour for 2023. Hope he continues his energetic campaign for 2024!
Help spread the word today by following Will Rollins and boosting his accomplishments and his campaign in the critical realm of social media!
It is possible that this district will flip from supporting Trump in 2020 to supporting Biden in 2024. That is why Will Rollins has a great chance against MAGA Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, in spite of being rated tied for the 22nd most vulnerable Republican seat in flipping. That is also why MAGA is so afraid of the challenger, and have even called for Rollins to be arrested (!) for prosecuting the January 6 insurrectionists as shown in the Meidas Touch interview below.
Rep. Ken Calvert has little to show for his 32 years in D.C. other than a fatter personal wealth portfolio and a do-nothing record. He is the epitome of the swamp creature Donald Trump rails against, yet Calvert is a diehard MAGA supporter and will carry water for the former President. He is everything regular folks distrust and dislike about Washington, D.C. The question is, can Will Rollins make the case against Calvert this year?
Will Rollins for California-41
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Here is the Defeat the MAGA Dozen Fund on ActBlue! These 12 incumbent members of the GOP are MAGA Republicans residing in swing districts. The challengers are all strong and can win in these tougher districts. Please donate and then share a link to this site on your social media! #MAGADozen
