{"id":14564,"date":"2026-06-12T16:31:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14564"},"modified":"2026-06-12T16:31:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:31:52","slug":"democrats-blame-the-party-each-other-and-themselves-in-ca-40-june-primary-shutout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=14564","title":{"rendered":"Democrats blame the party, each other and themselves in CA-40 June primary shutout"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The new California 40th Congressional District, straddling Orange and Riverside counties, was designed to be a stronghold for Republicans.<\/p>\n

Read more Doctors Without Borders says one of its staff among women detained in Afghanistan for violating dress code<\/a><\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s redistricting process was an effort to shore up five additional House seats in California that would favor Democrats, so this district was created, in part, to siphon Republican voters away from other congressional districts.<\/p>\n

But with the primary election dust starting to settle, and two incumbent Republicans projected to advance to the fall\u2019s general election, Democratic candidates and voters in the 40th District are wondering: Who is at fault for Democrats\u2019 shutout?<\/p>\n

Is it simply the district\u2019s votership, where the latest report shows nearly 40% of the 520,948 voters are registered Republicans, while 31% are Democrats and 21% are no party preference?<\/p>\n

Or could the Democratic Party put more resources into the primary to elevate one of its candidates to the runoff?<\/p>\n

The latter has been a resounding criticism from Esther Kim-Varet, a Democrat and political newcomer who is slated to come in third place, according to unofficial results.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s one echoed by some Democratic voters in the district who are questioning the state party\u2019s endorsement process, specifically, on who to back in the 40th District during its convention.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the California Democratic Party did not respond to questions about the concerns that it did not put enough resources into the 40th District primary.<\/p>\n

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Instead, in an emailed statement, party Chair Rusty Hicks said: \u201cNothing here is a surprise. And it won\u2019t be a surprise in November when one of them is out of a job, and the other finds themselves in the minority again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, local Democratic activists and voters, as well as candidates, weren\u2019t so pessimistic. They saw a path forward, they said, if there had been more resources or, at the very least, more unity.<\/p>\n

A fool\u2019s errand or a fighting chance?<\/h4>\n

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert quickly surged ahead in the primary, and he remains in the lead with nearly 35% of the vote that\u2019s been counted as of Friday morning.<\/p>\n

Fellow GOP incumbent Young Kim is behind him with 20.6% of the vote. And the contest for second place between Kim and Kim-Vareet (who sits at 16.6%) was so close that the Associated Press only called the race for the Republican on Tuesday, June 9, one week after Election Day.<\/p>\n

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Three other Democratic contenders followed: immigration attorney Lisa Ramirez (14%), retired firefighter captain Joe Kerr (8.6%), and retired Army officer Claude M Keissieh (2.2%).<\/p>\n

Riverside County Democratic Party Chair Joy Silver lamented the lack of unified support for a single Democratic candidate in the 40th District.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it\u2019s true that the R+9 numbers are challenging for Democrats in that district, it would be better for any candidate in any race to be their party\u2019s sole choice,\u201d said Silver, who lives in the district.<\/p>\n

Janet Henry, who chairs the Canyon Democrats club in Orange County, was also optimistic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think there would have been a door open for us because I think several of the candidates were very much knocking on doors and doing person-to-person contact, and I think that is our strength,\u201d said Henry, who also lives in the 40th District.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you do person-to-person and talk about what the constituency wants, I think they (voters) tend to be really more on the Democratic side even though they vote Republican,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n