Calvert-Rollins race sure to be very close

Voters in Riverside County’s 41st Congressional District will have another competitive, expensive race on their hands.

As of this writing, longtime Republican Rep. Ken Calvert received 52.9% of the vote in last week’s primary election. Two Democratic challengers split the rest, with former federal prosecutor Will Rollins receiving 38.6% of the vote.

If the race so far is any indication, this will be an intense campaign. Calvert, who has been in Congress for three decades, has coasted for most of his political career, but has faced increased competition in recent years.

Against Rollins, Calvert has clearly felt the heat. With his redrawn congressional district including the proudly gayfriendly city of Palm Springs, Calvert has pivoted from a traditional conservative to a supporter of gay rights. This has included his vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, which federally recognizes same-sex marriages. Calvert characterizes this shift in position to a genuine change in his thinking about same-sex marriage, and who knows, maybe it is. But it’s also not hard to perceive the pivot as smart politics to persuade moderates to stick with him.

Likewise, we’ve seen Rollins, assailed by Calvert as soft on crime, lash out against Calvert as the one with a weak record on crime. In both ads and an op-ed published online by this paper, Rollins has attacked Calvert for voting for criminal justice reform (the First Step Act). It’s not clear how many voters will buy the idea that Rollins, who is otherwise very much on the left, is tougher on crime than Calvert.

Rollins has also made a point of highlighting Calvert’s 1994 bust for being caught in a car with a known sex worker. Calvert was never arrested or charged for the incident. But that’s very much old news.

And it’s unclear who is supposed to be motivated to vote against Calvert based on that.

If anything, it makes Rollins out to be a prude. Sex work should be decriminalized and should be no business of the government as long as it involves consenting adults.

Ultimately, Calvert’s biggest strength is his name recognition and extensive time in office. He can point to tangible acomplishments, while Rollins can only run on promises. But Calvert’s also a shameless backer of Trumpism in the GOP, which is political poison in California.