Calvert-Rollins react to tight race for 41st Congressional District
The race for the new 41st Congressional District remains tight, with Will Rollins' lead over Congressman Ken Calvert shrinking to single digits Wednesday evening as votes continue to be counted.
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The district is almost evenly divided in registration between Democrats and Republicans after it was redrawn to include a number of valley cities along with part of western Riverside County.
We asked Rollins how he would handle political gridlock in Washington if Democrats lose the House but he wins the election.
"It's going to be a closely divided Congress no matter what happens, and I think again the results from last night prove that the American people want compromise and they want stability," Rollins said. "I hope that this candidacy proves that the country is ready for a new generation of moderates."
Calvert did not return our request for an interview but he did provide a statement:
“This race is far from over. Only 77,554 votes have been counted. Our campaign estimates at least 120,000 ballots remain to be counted in the 41st District – including additional in-person votes cast yesterday. That means less than 40% of the anticipated votes have been counted so far.
We know from recent elections and vote-by-mail return data that the early results disproportionately favor Democrats. In contrast, the in-person and late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots, including those handed in on Election Day, disproportionately favor Republicans. Again, there are 120,000 of those ballots remaining to be counted. After all the votes are counted, we will prevail.”
Results in the race are still being determined as approximately 295,000 Vote-by-Mail and 10,000 Provisional ballots are still being counted as of Wednesday, Nov. 9.
