CA-40 U.S. House, California
CA-40
Rubric: 5 Championed · 4 Supportive · 3 Mixed / limited · 2 Leaning against · 1 Opposed · NR Bounded search
CA-40 race breakdown
California's 40th District (Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties: Yorba Linda, Brea, Fullerton, Chino Hills, Corona) Asians are 19.0% of district residents, the largest minority group (2020 Census). A district-specific Asian American citizen voting-age population figure did not turn up.
Competitiveness: Cook PVI R+6 on the 2026 district lines (Cook Political Report, checked October 18, 2026). Special all- Republican general: no party-control stakes.
SPECIAL R-vs-R GENERAL: California's top-two primary produced two Republicans, incumbents Ken Calvert (~35%) and Young Kim (~21%). Democrat Esther Kim-Varet (~17%) was eliminated. Party control of this seat cannot flip in November. Redistricting drew the two Republican incumbents into the same district, so AAPI voters here are choosing between them.
Young Kim Republican · Incumbent since 2021
Korean American, among the first Korean American women in Congress. Former CA Assemblywoman. Serves on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs.
Cosponsor of the bipartisan DIGNIDAD Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), which would let undocumented immigrants present before 2021 apply for up to seven years of legal status with work authorization, regular DHS check-ins and $7,000 in restitution; no federal benefits and no path to citizenship through that status. The bill also carries border-security and enforcement provisions. Earlier backed DACA recipients, was an original cosponsor of the Divided Families Reunification Act, and co-introduced the current bipartisan Divided Families National Registry Act (H.R. 1273, Feb 2025) for Korean War-separated families. Voted YEA on the Laken Riley Act (Jan 2025). Not a cosponsor of H.R. 8443; no H-1B statements found (congress.gov; GovTrack).
Cosponsored the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) on Jan 15, 2026 and backed it in a June 2026 floor statement. The bipartisan housing-supply bill streamlines permitting and rural-housing programs. It became Pub.L. 119-101 in July 2026. The bill is federal housing-production policy and takes no position on rezoning or density affecting Asian American neighborhoods (GovTrack; GovTrack). Voted Yea on the June 23, 2026 House motion to concur in the amended H.R. 6644 housing bill (Roll Call 224, 358-32). [House vote]
Not a cosponsor of the Teaching AANHPI History Act. Authored H.R. 8445, the Stop DEI Act, on April 22, 2026, proposing to deny specified federal funds to colleges that consider race, sex, ethnicity, color or national origin in violation of civil-rights laws. Her education platform supports school choice, merit, STEM and college affordability. No AANHPI- curriculum or exam-admissions position was verified. (Congress.gov; education platform). Rating basis: Education authorship and funding/choice platform exist. The Stop DEI proposal is not proof of opposition to AANHPI history; review as a limited/mixed education record.
Authored the Health CARE Act of 2023 (H.R. 5762), proposing a universal language-access symbol in health care. Not a cosponsor of H.R. 7223; no statement on the March 2025 English-official order was found in the checked sources. The earlier bill is a language- access policy record, not enacted service delivery. (introduced bill). Rating basis: Authored a specific health language-access proposal. Concrete but narrow, not an enacted service program.
Voted YEA on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (House Roll Call 145, May 18, 2021). Cosponsored the 2021 Hate Crimes Commission Act. Testified at the March 2021 House hearing on discrimination against Asian Americans after the Atlanta shootings. Published a "bipartisan stand" op-ed and criticized "Kung Flu" rhetoric in 2020. Not an author of the flagship act (GovTrack; youngkim.house.gov). ing basis: Personal anti-Asian-hate advocacy spans 2020 op-ed, 2021 testimony andcommission posal plus enacted flagship vote. Sustained issue leadership, not merely attendance or glecosponsorship.
Ken Calvert Republican · Incumbent since 1993
Longest-serving Republican in the CA delegation. Appropriations Committee. His Riverside County home was drawn into CA-40.
Authored the 1996 legislation that later became E-Verify, and bills to make E-Verify mandatory nationwide. Voted YEA on the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2, 2023) and the Laken Riley Act (2025). Campaigns on "ending illegal immigration" and ending "catch and release." His restrictive record covers unauthorized immigration and employment verification, not skilled visas. Not a cosponsor of H.R. 8443, and no H-1B statements were found (calvert.house.gov; GovTrack). Rating basis: Sustained personal leadership on mandatory employment verification, including 1996 program authorship and repeated mandatory E-Verify bills. This is restrictive-policy leadership, not a claim of opposition to legal or skilled immigration.
Authored H.R. 577, the Treatment and Homelessness Housing Integration Act of 2025, proposing treatment referrals within HUD's Continuum of Care program; it remains introduced. His FY2026 community-project requests include $5 million for Via Vail road infrastructure needed for affordable housing in Rancho Mirage. These are homelessness/housing-development actions, not a position on every AAPI-neighborhood zoning dispute. Requested funds are not an award. [bill status] [funding request] Voted Yea on the June 23, 2026 House motion to concur in the amended H.R. 6644 housing bill (Roll Call 224, 358-32). [House vote] Rating basis: Specific homelessness/housing authorship and affordable-housing infrastructure funding request. No enacted result claimed.
Not a cosponsor of the Teaching AANHPI History Act (H.R. 3551). His official education position favors reevaluating the federal role in education, standards and accountability balanced with student, family and teacher rights, local K-12 control and spending restraint. No AANHPI-history-curriculum or exam-admissions position was verified in this fact-check pass. His committee work is appropriations, defense and water (calvert.house.gov/education).
Originally cosponsored the English Language Unity Act of 2005 (H.R. 997), proposing English for official government functions with specified exceptions. In 2006 voted Aye to strip the bilingual-ballot extension, then Aye on final Voting Rights Act reauthorization retaining it. Voted Nay on the multipart 2020 H.Res. 908, which included language access; that vote does not establish a clause-specific motive. (H.R. 997; amendment vote; final vote; 2020 vote). Rating basis: Historical official-English authorship and anti-bilingual-ballot amendment vote, but also final reauthorization Yea retaining bilingual protections. Mixed, not no record.
Voted YEA on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (May 18, 2021). Voted NAY on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913, House Roll Call 223, Apr 29, 2009), which later became the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. No recent hate-crime cosponsorships or community advocacy found (GovTrack).