Congressman Ken Calvert Doubles Q2 Election Funds To $2.5 Million As More Prominent Dems Drop Out Of Race
Calvert faced close House election calls in 2022, 2024
By Evan Symon, July 10, 2025 4:45 pm
Riverside County Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA) announced a major second quarter fundraising haul on Thursday, doubling his war chest funds to $2.5 million as more prominent Democrats continue to drop out of the race.
According to FEC data from April, Calvert went from only a few hundred thousand dollars following his narrow 2024 election victory to $1.3 million. However, with the Inland Empire-Palm Springs based district remaining close in terms of candidate and party support, Calvert needed to keep up the fundraising momentum this year to prepare for 2026. The scramble to have millions cash on hand in time for the 2026 election ultimately paid off again in Q2, when it was announced that his campaign brought in a massive fundraising haul of $1.3 million and, minus minor spending now has $2.5 cash on hand.
“Congressman Ken Calvert has hit the ground running in Washington, delivering commonsense results. This massive fundraising haul shows just how energized voters are to keep him in Congress,” said National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Spokesman Christian Martinez on Thursday.
For the GOP, Calvert’s fundraising could prove critical in 2026. Calvert has been the Congressman for the Inland Empire District since 1993, but in recent years, has faced tighter and tighter elections thanks to an influx of Democrats from Los Angeles and elsewhere moving into the western part of Riverside County and San Bernadino County. In 2022, Calvert narrowly beat lawyer Will Rollins (D) 52.3% to 47.7%, with a difference of about 11,000 votes. In 2024 it was just as tight, with Calvert narrowly prevailing once more 51.7% to 48.3%, with around a 12,000 vote difference thanks to population influxes. While the Cook Political Report still says the District leans Republican, the 41st is once again on the Democrats list of close seats they are focusing on in 2026.
Despite this, Calvert’s resiliency and fundraising abilities have proved masterful, and in the upcoming 2026 election, the are proving scary to Democrats. In April, Rollins officially announced he would not be running again after losing to Calvert twice. This was followed up by OneRepublic musician Tim Myers (D) announcing earlier this week that he would be leaving the Congressional race in order to run for Lt. Governor instead.
With Calvert’s two main Democratic challengers now out, he will now have to contend with a group of Democrats coming in with little experience. Abel Chavez (D), the President of the Nuview Union School District Board, is the only other candidate running who has been elected to office who is currently still in the race. Others, like lawyer Anuj Dixit (D) and political organizer and 2016 Vermont Lt. Governor candidate Brandon Riker are also in the race with some political background. However, none come close to Calvert in terms of funding or support.
Calvert’s doubling of his war chest on Thursday pretty much confirmed that the June primary and November General election next year will be extremely difficult for candidates trying to challenge Calvert. Even with possible GOP mid-term backlash, Calvert is in a good position. And with the GOP needed to hold onto as many seats as possible to retain a majority in the House next year, Calvert’s fundraising could prove critical to keep him in office.
Other candidates are expected to have their Q2 fundraising amounts be announced soon.
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Money, the mother’s milk of politics. I don’t believe Calvert is so tainted and I do like him, but I think of all the members of congress who were from modest backgrounds that became inexplicably wealthy in an inexplicably short period of time. I don’t know if it is a full fact, but I understand that k street lobbyists put on a no expense barred, gourmet dining, “this is how things work in washington” welcome for freshmen legislators. Then there are the ones who can’t keep their junk in their own pants or keep their hands in their own change purse, oblivious that there are cameras and witnesses everywhere and while records can be destroyed the internet is forever. I think there’s a lot of blackmail hanging over congress.
I’m on your side, Ken, but really, you gotta shed a hundred pounds, OK? You’re not wearing a good look, and I imagine your health will pay sooner or later. You have my vote, but slim down, please.
My communications with Ken Calvert have left me with the opinion that he’s a do-nothing; his only positive points are that he doesn’t vote with Democrats, and he fills a seat that they would otherwise control. We need better, but I don’t see that happening.