CA District 41 Race: Ken Calvert and Will Rollins face off

California's 41st District is tight race

In a rematch of the 2022 election, Ken Calvert and Will Rollins are squaring off in a battle for California's 41st Congressional District, which could determine control of the House of Representatives.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - A political rematch is heating up in Riverside County ahead of the election for California’s 41st Congressional District seat.

"This is one of the most competitive seats in the country," said candidate Will Rollins.

Experts believe the race between Republican incumbent Ken Calvert and Democratic challenger Will Rollins could come down to the wire, while possibly determining the balance of power in Congress.

"They believe they can get the majority, so they’re going after my seat," said Calvert.

You’ve likely seen the ads on television for Calvert and Rollins. Both sides have received millions of dollars in fundraising.

The Issue Is: Ken Calvert, Will Rollins, Areva Martin, Joel Pollak, Torry Holt

This week's "The Issue Is:" covers the tied 41st congressional race between Rep. Ken Calvert and Democrat Will Rollins, includes a panel discussion on key political topics, and reports on the L.A. Rams' cancer awareness event at Sofi Stadium.

One ad sponsored by the Rollins campaign describes Calvert as corrupt.

"[Rollins] has chosen to make this campaign against me personal," said Calvert. "To say I’m a corrupt politician, if you pour enough money into anything, a certain amount of people might believe that."

While an ad sponsored by the Calvert campaign described Rollins as extreme, claiming he would raise gas prices.

"I’m not even running for a state position," said Rollins. "I would have no ability to affect the California gas tax and neither does he."

The race is a rematch from the 2022 election where Calvert defeated Rollins by about 5 percentage points. California’s once deeply conservative 41st congressional district was redrawn in 2021. It now looks like a "w" stretching from Corona to Palm Springs.

"I want to work hard to bring the cost of living back down to an affordable level for folks," said Calvert. "I want to make sure they can walk safely in their neighborhoods and feel like they’re not going to be attacked."

"I care about the middle class in this country," said Rollins. "I care about lowering the cost of housing in this country."

Will Rollins (Left) and Ken Calvert (right)

Both Rollins and Calvert discussed their stance on immigration with FOX 11.

"Sure, do we need a wall in some places," said Rollins. "But do we need thermal imaging, drones, more boots on the ground in others? Yes. Realizing we are a nation of immigrants. Our economy grows when we have people that can immigrate here legally."

"We need to fix the border," said Calvert. "We need to fix how we bring people into the United States legally. Anybody with a criminal record, rape, murder, armed robbery that came from those countries, obviously, they need to be deported immediately."

Calvert and Rollins also discussed their beliefs on abortion.

"The State of California has made a decision on abortion," said Calvert. "It’s the law of the state. Abortion is legal here in the state, and that’s not going to change. There’s not going to be a national abortion law."

"It shouldn’t be left up to the states," said Rollins. "This is a fundamental freedom. Those of us in California should care when about women, if they are dying in Georgia because their reproductive freedom is gone. I would 100 percent support voting for the Women’s Health Protection Act, so we restore Roe v Wade as law of the land in this country."

‘People want to see new blood in congress," said Rollins. "That’s fundamentally what this election is about."

"I want us to have a secure border, and I want us to have a good life here in California," said Calvert. "I’ve worked for that all my life and I’ll continue to do so."