House Speaker Mike Johnson will be in Corona and Orange County on Sunday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 14, to rally support for California Republicans hoping to win or keep House seats deemed critical to controlling Congress.
Johnson, R-Louisiana, is expected in Corona on Sunday to rally support for Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, who faces a tough reelection fight for a seat representing part of Riverside County.
The noon event will take place at Calvert’s Corona headquarters, according to Calvert’s campaign, which sent out an online form for those interested in attending.
The speaker also plans to stump for several Orange County House candidates on Sunday and Monday. A get-out-the-vote event featuring Johnson and Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at a location to be shared with those who RSVP to timothy@ocgop.org.
Johnson’s West Coast excursion underscores the importance of these battleground districts to the GOP, which holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. A few competitive seats in California and New York could determine which party holds a House majority for the next two years.
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Calvert, the Inland Empire’s longest-serving congressmember who took office in the early 1990s, is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Will Rollins, who narrowly lost to Calvert in 2022. The district spans part of western Riverside County and includes cities in the Coachella Valley.
Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, is not impressed with Johnson’s visit.
“Ken Calvert refused to bring $300 million to Riverside County for infrastructure funding, but he’s giddy to bring Mike Johnson, the co-sponsor of the national abortion ban, to Corona,” Rollins said in an emailed statement. “Tells you all you need to know about his priorities.”
Calvin Moore, a Calvert campaign spokesman, replied via email: “Per usual, Will Rollins is taking cheap shots because it’s exactly how he’d be in Washington: all talk and no action.”
Moore added: “Ken Calvert has brought more money back to California than any member of Congress because he knows how to work with Speaker Johnson and top Democrats to … deliver results. Maybe instead of flapping his gums, Will Rollins should take notes.”
The race for the 41st is one of the nation’s most expensive, with Calvert and Rollins raising more than $12 million combined for their campaigns, a figure that doesn’t include spending by outside groups supporting or opposing the candidates.
A recent poll showed Calvert and Rollins tied at 41.6% apiece.
Johnson also will be in Orange County to support incumbent Reps. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, and Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills.
He’s also boosting the campaigns of former Assemblymember Scott Baugh, who is running in the open race for California’s 47th Congressional District, and Matt Gunderson, who is vying for the 49th Congressional District.
A Sunday event for Gunderson — who is challenging Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, for the seat that spans Orange and San Diego counties — will be at a private residence in San Clemente, according to an event invite.
Tickets range from $250 for a cocktail reception and remarks to $6,600 to serve as a co-chair and to attend a VIP reception and receive a photo opportunity.
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While the 49th is viewed as a bit of a safer bet for Democrats — the nonpartisan political forecasting website Cook Political Report considers it to be “likely Democrat” — it does have the attention of both parties.
Meanwhile, the contests for California’s 45th Congressional District, where Steel is vying for a third term, and the open 47th are considered to be much closer.
Steel faces attorney Derek Tran in what has been a volatile campaign for the seat that includes Orange and Los Angeles counties. It’s considered to be a “Republican toss up” by the Cook report.
Cook rates the 47th — represented by Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, who opted to run for California’s open U.S. Senate seat instead of re-election — as “lean Democrat.” There, Baugh and state Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, have been locked in a tight race.