Rollins awaits updated vote counts as Calvert declares victory in 41st Congressional District race
Democratic candidate Will Rollins is not conceding in his quest for the 41st Congressional District seat.
Tuesday night, Rollins released a statement to News Channel 3 on the update in votes counted and his desire to hold off on conceding the race.
"While we thought we'd get some clarity from tonight's update from the Registrar, we were surprised to learn that there are an additional 50,000 mail-in ballots that have been received since 11/8. So, that brings the total number of uncounted ballots in Riverside County to at least 117,000.
"We know major outlets have already called this race, and I will respect the final outcome, no matter what. But, we also want to respect the voices of those whose votes have not yet been counted. Thanks, everyone, for bearing with us a little bit longer.”
Will Rollins
Earlier Tuesday morning, Rollins acknowledging in a statement the updated vote counts in the race that sets him behind Republican Congressman Ken Calvert.
"Last night's news was not what we hoped for. We know we face an uphill climb, but I have always been adamant that the democratic process must play out. With many votes still outstanding, the next round of ballots released this evening will provide more insight on where this race stands. I am so grateful to the election workers who are doing this tough work, as well as the supporters who poured their energy into this campaign. You will hear more from me after tonight."
Will Rollins
Monday night, the Associated Press projected that Republican Congressman Ken Calvert has won reelection for the 41st Congressional District.
BREAKING: Republican Ken Calvert wins reelection to U.S. House in California's 41st Congressional District. #APracecall at 8:00 p.m. PST. https://t.co/2nlgpjiEZK
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 15, 2022
Calvert was down by over 10,000 votes when the results were released on election day, however, he slowly continued to gain ground on Democrat Will Rollins as votes continued to be counted.
As of Monday, Nov. 11, Calvert was leading by nearly 5,500 votes.
GET ELECTION RESULTS HERE
Calvert released a statement on his victory:
“I want to thank the Riverside County voters for once again choosing me to be their voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. As I said throughout this campaign, I will work to take our country in a different direction from the path it’s on and advocate for policies that will curb inflation, lower energy prices by increasing American production, address our border crisis, and reduce crime.
This election demonstrated that Riverside County voters are more interested in people serious about solving our challenges, than personal politics. In the end, it’s clear that voters sent a strong message rejecting the gutter politics of lies and personal attacks from an out-of-town extremist liberal.
It’s clear that this district, like our country, is narrowly divided on a partisan basis. I am proud of my record of delivering results for Riverside County by working in a bipartisan manner throughout my career. As I represent a new district with new communities, I remain committed to working towards solutions with anyone who is interested in addressing the needs of our region."
Calvert's victory gives Republicans another seat as the party is on the cusp of taking control of the House with a slim majority.
The 41st Congressional District is a very evenly divided district with a large chunk of the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs through La Quinta now connected with the more conservative western half of the county.
IN DEPTH: A look at multi-million dollar race for the newly created 41st Congressional District
Approximately 84,000 Vote-by-Mail and 10,000 Provisional ballots still must be processed, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office announced on Monday. A new batch of results will be posted on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
