On June 24, I sent a simple questionnaire to the candidates running as Democrats for CA-40; gave them a deadline of June 30 to complete a Simple questionnaire with the promise I would cut-and-paste their responses into a post for voters to examine. If you’re a PR for a candidate, I offered a softball for a home run. To avoid an awkward response or correction, the candidates had nearly a week to provide a prepared answer to a question that would not be questioned and just repeated.
There are six candidates running; only two submitted answers on time. The last response came in Monday morning. I reached out through friends for contact details I did not have on certain candidates and used LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to send messages. Three responses out of six. One candidate — Paula Swift — (who runs a PR firm) sent me to her web page for the answers I sought. Really?
So a thank you to Christina Gagnier and Joe Kerr for understanding the assignment. The campaign of Esther Kim Varet emailed at deadline saying they’d submit and that submission came in Monday morning, but I extended the deadline because they had gotten back to me.
For Nina Linh, Paula Swift, and Perry Meade, check your social media feeds and fire your PR people. None of you are serious candidates for Congress. Only Meade lives in the district, but at 25 years of age, he lacks experience a district with an average voter age of 59 needs in Congress. He should run for another office. For Swift, who runs a PR practice, Shame on you for passing on the easiest of opportunities.
My choices here are question-by-question, or candidate by candidate; I’m going question by question and in alphabetical order:
Why are you running for Congress?
Gagnier:
I am running for Congress because I have a record of standing up to bullies, going toe-to-toe with far-right extremists, and bringing people together to get things done. I am a problem solver and a fighter. Right now, the ultimate bullies are in charge in Washington, and Congresswoman Young Kim is sitting on the sidelines, enabling Donald Trump and corporate billionaires to take away our healthcare, hurt our communities, and raid our pocketbooks.
We need a representative who knows what families are going through and is actually going to fight for us and work hard to make our lives better, not lie to our faces and then sell us out for tax cuts for billionaires. As a former school board member for the Chino Valley, I know what it takes to stand up to MAGA extremists and not back down. As a small business owner, union member, and two-time chair of my local Chamber of Commerce, I know what it takes to ensure families and businesses succeed in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
I know what it is like to lose a parent at a young age, and have a single mom fighting to keep a household together. I know what it is like to work hard to pay for rising tuition costs, working night shifts at motels and cleaning tanning beds between classes. I know what it is like to struggle to start and keep a small business. I started mine with just tens of dollars in the bank during the Great Recession.
I have made it my mission to give back to our communities, and I am proud of my record. As an attorney, I have held abusers and online harassers accountable. As a school board member, I brought labor unions into our schools to start career technical education programs. As the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce, I have helped develop and build real workforce development programs to connect employers with job seekers.
Now, I want to continue that work in Congress and take this fight for our families directly to Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, because they are attacking the very fabric of our communities.
Kerr:
I’m running for Congress because Young Kim is failing the very people she was elected to represent and the families in California’s 40th District deserve better. While we face rising costs, growing wildfire threats, and relentless attacks on our basic freedoms, she’s selling us out in exchange for political loyalty. She’s more focused on keeping her job than on doing her job.
My background: I spent 34 years as a firefighter, and nearly two decades leading Orange County’s firefighters as President of Local 3631, representing over 1,200 members on the front lines. I also served as Vice President of the California Professional Firefighters, where I fought for more than 30,000 firefighters statewide helping shape legislation to protect their health, safety, and benefits. And I served as Vice President of the Orange County Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO), advocating for more than 270,000 union workers across dozens of industries – from the building trades to grocery clerks to home health care workers. If you’ve worked with your hands or stood on your feet for a living in this county, chances are I’ve already fought for you.
Our firefighter union was born of the Orange County bankruptcy, which was the world’s largest municipal bankruptcy at the time. Rather than pass the burden onto taxpayers, we chose a smarter path; we worked with local, state, and federal officials to identify inefficiencies, consolidate overhead, and restructure operations in ways that saved lives and saved money. That work returned hundreds of millions in functional revenue to the Orange County Fire Authority; revenue that continues to grow to this day, providing long-term financial stability and operational strength without raising taxes. Our approach was so effective that OC Supervisor Pat Bates asked our union to help the OCFA balance their budget — something we did successfully three years in a row during the Great Recession.
Post-retirement, when Orange County lost a $60 to $70 million per year revenue stream, I was approached by OC Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Sean Nelson for help. I didn’t wait for someone else to step in; I went to Sacramento and got it back. That effort has returned over $700 million (and counting) to our local communities. When wildfires began threatening our neighborhoods, I helped design real tools to protect our communities from fire and climate disaster. I co-founded a wildfire-detection camera network with UC San Diego scientists that detects fires in their incipient phase before they explode — protecting homes, saving lives, and cutting millions of tons of carbon emissions.
I’ve also been appointed by two California governors to help tackle some of our state’s toughest challenges. Governor Gray Davis appointed me to the California Workforce Development Board where I helped expand high-road job training to strengthen our middle class. Years later, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed me to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board where I served as Vice Chair and held serial polluters accountable, levying million-dollar fines on the worst offenders and protecting clean water for millions of Californians.
That’s the kind of leadership Congress is missing.
Meanwhile, Young Kim shamelessly voted for Trump’s “Big Billionaire Bailout” – slashing Medicaid by $700 billion, gutting food assistance, stripping vital resources for veterans and mental health care, defunding school nutrition programs and college aid, cutting investments in teachers and school safety, approving the sale of our public lands, demonizing immigrants, potentially shuttering nursing homes and closing rural hospitals, and eliminating funding for first responders and emergency preparedness which undermines public safety at every level. She’s backed Trump’s agenda over 90 percent of the time, while raking in donations from corporate PACs, dark money donors, and anti-worker special interests that want to drown out the voices of working people. The result? Working families in CA-40 will lose access to the critical services they depend on just to stay healthy, housed, and fed — while feeling their paychecks stretched thinner every month and falling further behind.
I’m not running to chase a title. I’m running because I’ve already delivered for this district at the local, state, and county level, and I’m ready to do it again in Congress. I spent my career working on the front lines, at the bargaining table, and in the halls of power in Sacramento and Washington.
I’ve spent my life standing up for the people I’ve served, and in Congress I’ll do the same. No excuses, no sellouts. Just results for CA-40.
Varet:
Donald J. Trump, with the GOP Congress and a stacked conservative SCOTUS as his accomplices, is doing his damn best every day to destroy the social, economic, and military stability and prosperity that America has enjoyed since the end of WWII, and to defile and debilitate the Constitutional order. This is the greatest threat our 250 year old democracy has faced since the Civil War. Trump’s M.O. is to create maximum chaos in order to consolidate his own power, and to enrich himself and his American oligarch sponsors and enablers. The ONLY realistic mechanism to pull the emergency break on the Trump trainwreck before our nation careens off the cliff is to flip the House in the 2026 midterms, by the widest margin possible. The path to the Democrats winning control of the House runs straight through California’s 40th District, which is currently represented by a corrupt, duplicitous do-nothing say-anything Congresswoman Young Kim.
If the 40th had been on its current boundaries in 2020, by precinct Biden would have won the District by about 2%. In 2024, Trump carried the District by about 2%. This is a bright purple district that is not being served by its MAGA cheerleader Representative, whose milquetoast press releases and photo-ops belie a deeply reactionary voting record that is completely out of step with the common sense centrism of Orange County.
After Trump won his second term, I decided that I could no longer in good conscience sit on the sidelines while MAGA trashes the country I love. For the sake of my two young children, their children, and all American patriots, I am all in to apply every ounce of the energy, skills, network, and experience I have developed over my 20 year career as an entrepreneur and small business owner, and 11 years as a mother, to send Young Kim to retirement in Florida next year, so I can help grab that emergency break, and pull it hard. Realistically, there will be little reparative legislation possible to pass through a presidential veto until Trump’s term ends, but I believe an experienced entrepreneurial mindset is exactly what we will need to repair and reinvent the Federal government for a post-MAGA America that delivers the promise of prosperity and freedom for all better and more efficiently than ever before.
What are your most pressing issues nationally?
Gagnier:
Every day, I work with parents and business owners who are having a harder time making ends meet. Rent is too high, grocery prices keep rising, and healthcare is out of reach and soon may be eliminated for certain individuals and families. Seniors are worried if Social Security or Medicare will be severely cut or eliminated, and our veterans are seeing their services cut. It is only going to get worse with Trump’s tariffs and reckless trade strategies.
It is not just the Orange and Inland Empire communities experiencing this economic crisis. Democrats have not talked about and acknowledged the financial strain everyday families are feeling and have not offered solutions to lift people up. These are families who should not be worrying about making ends meet, but, as the dangerous policies of the Trump Administration and House Republicans are implemented, any modicum of financial security these families may have felt is slipping away. They do not feel like their elected officials are listening to them, and if they are not feeling like they are being heard or that they matter, we will continue to lose their votes.
For our families, I will fight back against Trump and the House Republicans to protect public schools and the Department of Education. I will revitalize defunded programming, like special education and early childhood education.
For our businesses, I will work to restore access to funding and programs that power our country’s small businesses, empower our labor unions to grow apprenticeship and workforce development programs in our schools, and help the mom and pop shops that make our communities great cut through the red tape and access the resources to which they need to succeed.
I will always defend a woman’s right to choose and make their own medical decisions.
We need leaders who do not just speak or just broadcast at people on social media, but actually listen. When you listen, you get good feedback, and you can jump into action to get things done. I have a track record of doing that for small businesses and public school families, and that is what I plan to do in Congress.
Kerr:
Nationally, I’m most concerned about the economic pressure on working families, the growing climate crisis that threatens our safety and stability, the urgent need for humane and effective immigration reform, and the rising tide of political extremism that’s undermining our democracy.
Economic insecurity is hitting families hard. From housing to health care to groceries, everyday costs are rising while wages struggle to keep up. Corporate profits are at record highs, yet too many families are being priced out of their own communities. We need national leadership that puts people over profits and levels the playing field: protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, investing in affordable housing, and ensuring that working people–not billionaires–get the support they need.
The climate crisis is real and demands urgent action. I’ve seen firsthand the devastation of wildfire, drought, and extreme weather, and I know we can’t afford half-measures. What used to be fire season is now fire year. We need bold federal investment in wildfire prevention, clean energy, and water infrastructure — not just to protect the environment, but to safeguard lives, jobs, and public health.
Under Trump, we’ve seen cruel ICE raids, with masked agents ripping hardworking parents from their children and terrorizing communities under the guise of “law and order.” That’s not public safety; that’s political theater at the expense of human lives. I spent my career protecting people, not persecuting them. In Congress, I’ll fight for immigration policies that are effective, compassionate, and grounded in our values. We need policies that strengthen our economy and protect families, not tear them apart.
Democracy itself is on the line. Across the country, we’re seeing coordinated attacks on the rule of law. We’ve got a president, political extremists, and dark-money groups trying to dismantle our institutions and rewrite the rules for their own gain. We need leaders who will protect civil liberties, defend reproductive rights, and restore integrity to our institutions. I believe in a country where every voice counts, every vote matters, and government works for the people, not just the powerful.
These aren’t abstract policy debates, they’re everyday challenges for millions of Americans. And these are national problems with local consequences. I’ve seen the toll these crises take on families, workers, and frontline responders. I’m running for Congress to fight for a country where hard work is rewarded, freedom is protected, and no one gets left behind.
Varet:
Protecting American Democracy:
We must restore the rule of law, repair the Constitutional order, reclaim Congressional authorities and a balance of powers, prevent the Presidency from ever again being used as a wrecking ball, and hold accountable those elected and appointed officials who have forsaken their solemn oath of office – and urgently, to halt the malignant repercussions of the SCOTUS “Citizens United” ruling that has flooded our government with corruption.
Prosperity for All, Building from the Center
I believe in equal opportunity. The middle class, including its many small and medium business owners, has always been and must be the engine of prosperity for America, and that we need to prioritize supporting the majority middle in order to lift the quality of life and solve the affordability crisis for all Americans.
Education is the Best Investment We Can Make
All children deserve excellence in education. For the past 100 years, the public K-12 education system and the Federal support for access to higher education opportunities have been the bedrock of America’s competitiveness and social mobility. We need to let go of the classroom culture wars and get very serious about preparing our next generation for the 21st Century. I will fight to prioritize rigor, innovation and affordability in education for children and adults alike, including training and compensation for excellence in teaching — this is the best investment that we as a nation can make in America’s future.
Protecting our Natural Environment – the Right to Clean Air and Clean Water – Is Key to Prosperity, National Security, and Quality of Life
Clean air and water are fragile resources that we all depend on. Trump and the Republican majority have declared scorched-earth war on nature, open season for polluters, and a firesale of public lands including National Parks. This reverses decades of bipartisan progress, including the effective end of the Nixon-created EPA. Meanwhile, America’s tremendous momentum in clean energy leadership, one of the fastest growing industrial and service sectors worldwide, will be decimated by the Trump budget bill, at the cost of more than 1 million quality jobs. Why? This is what the GOP’s corrupt corporate benefactors bought in return for their support of Trump and the GOP Congress. All Americans, and especially our children, deserve to have clean air and clean water. A safe natural environment is a basic prerequisite to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, and is a basic driver of our economic prosperity. I’ll fight like hell for the Federal government to return to responsible science-based policies and programs that keep America healthy, beautiful, sustainable, and competitive.
What are your most pressing issues in the district?
Gagnier:
Rising costs are the most pressing issue right now for families in this district. There is not one individual or family that I know that does not have a concern with the direction of the economy and the instability Trump and the House Republicans are bringing to it.
Rising costs across the board, exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing and Trump’s reckless trade wars, are hurting our communities particularly hard.
Quality and safe housing is some of the most expensive in the country. Our groceries and gas prices are higher than most of the country. Things are just not sustainable here for the average working family, and we need to do more to increase the supply of quality, affordable housing. In Congress, I will work to increase the supply of affordable housing, and support assistive programs for current homeowners and first-time buyers. There are many families just a paycheck away from losing their home, and the rising costs of everyday goods make that more likely to happen.
We need to make sure we are investing in our public schools, and that we are providing our next generation with the pathways and training necessary to find good-paying jobs after graduation.
We have hard-working people commuting all the way to Los Angeles and San Diego for work. We should be building a CA-40 where all people can live, work, and thrive.
Kerr:
I’ve talked to thousands of CA-40 residents and affordability is their number one issue. Families in our district are being priced out of the communities they’ve helped build. From housing and gas to child care and health care, costs are skyrocketing while wages lag behind. Many of our grown children can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods where they were raised, pushed out by rising rents, shrinking opportunities, and out-of-touch policies. Meanwhile, corporate profits soar and working people fall further behind. We need to make life more affordable by expanding access to housing, cracking down on corporate price gouging, and protecting essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance that help people stay afloat.
Wildfires and environmental health are also urgent local issues. CA-40 sits in one of the most volatile fire corridors on the planet. We need national investment in prevention — not just disaster cleanup. Protecting our air, water, and homes must be a priority. And it’s not just about safety; it’s also about affordability. Fire insurance has become nearly impossible to secure and is outrageously expensive in many parts of our district. We’ve personally had our fire insurance canceled three times. That’s making it harder for families to buy or sell their homes, especially when mortgage lenders require coverage but affordable options are disappearing.
And finally, we need leadership that shows up, listens, and delivers. Congresswoman Young Kim is in her third term and has never once held an in-person town hall. That tells you everything you need to know. She hides from her constituents, avoids accountability, and only answers to party leaders and corporate donors, not the people of CA-40. I’m running to bring real representation to our district — leadership rooted in integrity, accessibility, and results. And unlike our current representative, and most of the other candidates in this race, I actually live here.
Varet:
Young Kim and the Trump administration are intent on harming our local communities – they have raised our taxes, stripped us of benefits, and are terrorizing our neighborhoods with unlawful raids.
We need:
(1) Unlawful and terrorizing deportation raids to stop immediately; immigration enforcement agents should prioritize unlawful immigrants who have committed crimes, and they should wear masks and identify themselves to any resident who asks
(2) To restore the original, pre-Trump SALT deduction; Young Kim just voted to prevent the expiration of the punitive Trump 1.0 SALT deduction caps, which were set to entirely end on 12/31/2025. Contrary to what she claims, her vote to stop the SALT caps from expiring raises the tax burden of her constituents, especially as CA-40 has such a high home ownership rate and high property values. I will vote to entirely eliminate the double taxation of the Trump SALT deduction caps for working class and middle class households.
(3) To protect our natural resources; protecting our natural environment is a local and national priority. More than 20% of CA-40 (about 50% of all undeveloped land in our district) is made up of the Cleveland National Forest, owned by the federal government. Trump and the GOP tried to include a provision in the Trump budget bill that would have mandated the “firesale” of CA-40’s protected forest land to private interests for development, logging, and extraction. The only reason it was thankfully not included is because the Senate Parliamentarian rejected its inclusion in a budget bill, but they will try again! Young Kim said nothing against this direct attack on her own district.
How well do you know the district (explain your answer)?
Gagnier:
I was born and raised in the district, and I have been working for and in my community ever since. I have represented parts of the district as a duly elected member of the Chino Valley Unified School District Governing Board. I have worked with and for small businesses and partner organizations throughout the district as the two-time chair of my local Chamber of Commerce.
I graduated from UC Irvine, where I was a grassroots student organizer. I have been teaching at the UC Irvine School of Law since 2016 as an adjunct professor and am a member of UC-AFT Local 1474.Through the nonprofit I co-founded, Our Schools USA, I have worked with and supported parents, students, teachers, and community members fighting for local quality education and against far-right extremism throughout the entire district and the whole of Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Kerr:
I’ve lived in Orange County since I was 4 years old, and in cities within CA-40 for decades.
For 34 years as a professional firefighter, I responded to emergencies in 9 of the 12 cities that now make up CA-40. During my fire career, I also served as a Wildland Fire Defense Planner, working directly with local developers building into the wildland-urban interface. My job was to ensure that new homes and neighborhoods were built to be fire-safe: hardening structures, enforcing defensible space, and protecting entire communities across more than 170,000 acres of high-risk terrain — most of it right here in CA-40.
As president of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, as state vice president of the California Professional Firefighters, and as vice president of the Orange County Central Labor Council, I spent my 34 year career advocating for the safety and economic security of first responders and working families across CA-40.
My wife and I raised our son Joey here. He was born in Laguna Hills in CA-40 and raised in this district. He attended preschool, elementary, middle, and high school in our community before enrolling at Saddleback College, which is also in CA-40. This is where he played baseball and AYSO soccer, learned to fish, ran high school track, and worked his first job at our local grocery store. He’s 21 years old now, and CA-40 is the only place he’s ever called home.
I’ve also helped shape this district in a more literal sense. In 2008, I was asked by the Governor to support Proposition 14 and I worked to establish California’s nonpartisan redistricting commission — ensuring that districts like CA-40 would reflect the shared interests and identities of the people who live here, not partisan gerrymandering.
I know this district not just on paper, but block by block — from the fire stations where I served, to the neighborhoods where we’ve lived and raised our family. I’ve worked harder and longer for CA-40 than any candidate in this race — out of duty, not ambition. And I’ll bring that same grit and commitment to Congress.
Varet:
CA-40 is a beautiful, bountiful, but newly gerrymandered and arbitrary political boundary encompassing several distinct communities across three counties – with a wide diversity of voters, businesses, and resources. Having said that, I the only candidate in this race who actually is living and raising a family within the district, I’m the only candidate with kids enrolled in school in our district, and I’m the only candidate with a brick-and-mortar business and the only candidate employing people and generating sales tax revenue in the district.
I grew up around Dallas, Texas – but the similarities to California’s 40th are uncanny. Our district has deep roots in ranching culture; we have kept that spirit alive with incredible horse trails that run through our district from Aliso Viejo to Rancho Santa Margarita through Yorba Linda through Chino Hills.
While I live in Coto de Caza, I am grateful to have campaign donors from every single city in CA-40.
What endorsements have you received?
Gagnier:
I have been endorsed by both local and statewide elected officials thus far in the race. I have been endorsed by current State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod, California State Assemblymember Robert Garcia, California State Senator Connie Leyva (Ret.), Laguna Woods Mayor Shari L. Horne, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board Trustee Carrie Buck, Corona-Norco Unified School District Board Trustee Mary Helen Ybarra, North Orange County Community College District Trustee Dr. Barbara Dunsheath, former Chino Valley Unified School District Governing Board Member Donald Bridge, and Ron Wall, former Chair of the San Bernardino County Democratic Party.
Kerr:
It’s still early in the election cycle, but I’m proud to already have the support of respected leaders and a trusted community organization that knows what kind of representative I’ll be in Congress.
So far, I’ve been endorsed by several members of Congress, including Representatives Dave Min, Mike Levin, Lou Correa, Linda Sánchez, and Adam Gray, as well as California State Senators Tom Umberg and Josh Newman. I’m also honored to have the support of the Korean American Association of Senior Citizens, a trusted and active voice in the Korean community.
As the campaign continues, we will work hard to earn additional endorsements from leaders and organizations who’ve previously supported my work and who recognize what’s at stake in this district. We’re building serious momentum, and I’m proud to have earned the trust of those who know this district and the challenges ahead.
Varet:
So far, my public national endorsements include ASPIRE PAC (the political arm of the Asian American Democrats in Congress), VoteMama PAC, Representative Jasmine Crockett, former OC representative Harley Rouda and former Representative Dean Phillips. I have several more exciting national and local endorsements committed that I am excited to announce in the upcoming weeks!
Why run for Congress? Why not County Supervisor? Assembly? State Senate? City Council? School Board?
Gaginer:
I served on the Chino Valley Unified School District Governing Board from 2018 to 2022. I am the only one in this race to unseat Young Kim who has actually run for and held elected office. Little did I know that my school board would become the center of the culture war storm and host to some of the most raucous school board meetings in the country. I promise you, if you can battle through one of those school board meetings, you can battle in Congress.
Kerr:
I’m running for Congress because the problems facing our community — and our country — demand bold leadership at the national level. After 34 years as a firefighter and decades as a labor leader, I’ve spent my career solving tough problems and delivering results that reach far beyond city limits.
I’ve worked on issues that require coordination across local, state, and federal levels — like wildfire prevention, water infrastructure, worker protections, and emergency response (FEMA) funding. I’ve helped pass over 200 bipartisan bills and worked with multiple governors and presidents to deliver for first responders and working families. That kind of experience belongs in Congress, where decisions about public safety, economic fairness, and climate resilience are being made every day.
This isn’t about climbing the political ladder; it’s about stepping up where I’m needed most. I’m a lifelong public servant who still believes that government can be a force for good if we send the right people to Washington.
Varet:
I am not running for office in order to get a job, advance my career, or become a career politician. In fact, I have turned my life and my family upside down in order to put everything I have and everything I am into the mission to defeat Young Kim and help flip control of the House. This is my sole motivation. I have plenty of policy priorities that I would like to contribute to in Congress, but the fact is that none of that is going to be realistically possible unless and until we WIN this seat and send both Donald Trump and Young Kim to Florida.
While I respect and commend all of the Democratic challenger candidates working to flip CA-40, I believe that among the present candidates, I have the strongest set of abilities, experience, and both local and national support to actually succeed in the difficult challenge to overcome the avalanche of corporate and corrupt funding that is being funneled by the national Republican Party in an attempt to protect from losing CA-40.
I am not running for office in order to get a job, advance my career, or become a career politician. In fact, I have turned my life and my family upside down in order to put everything I have and everything I am into the mission to defeat Young Kim and help flip control of the House. This is my sole motivation. I have plenty of policy priorities that I would like to contribute to in Congress, but the fact is that none of that is going to be realistically possible unless and until we WIN this seat and send both Donald Trump and Young Kim to Florida.
Who did you cast your Congressional ballot for in 2024?
Gagnier:
Norma Torres.
Kerr:
I proudly cast my ballot for myself, Joe Kerr, as the duly-elected Democratic nominee for Congress in CA-40. I was honored to have the support of more than 171,000 voters who believed in our campaign and our vision for a more just, affordable, and accountable government. We got ~45% of the vote and came within striking distance of flipping this seat. We also cut the GOP’s built-in advantage in half and shifted this district three points to the left — marking the fifth-largest leftward swing in the entire country. And we did it without any institutional backing or national party support, just amazing grass roots support from hundreds of incredible volunteers and lots of shoe leather.
And our efforts paid off. We earned national attention and we are now the top seat to flip in CA. With growing momentum, party backing, and a broader coalition behind us, we’ll close the remaining 5% gap and finish the job in 2026.
Varet:
I cast my ballot for Laura Friedman, since I was at that time living in CA-30. If I had been living in CA-40 in 2024 I would have of course voted for Joe Kerr rather than Young Kim in the general election.
Which member of Congress do you admire most and why?
Gagnier:
I am laser-focused on unseating one member of Congress right now, and that is Young Kim.
I do admire Senator Adam Schiff and Senator Alex Padilla for their conviction and principles in standing up to Trump and this Administration, and for fighting for California
Kerr:
With 535 members between the House and the Senate it’s too difficult to choose just one. But if we focus on the House, there are several members (past and present) whose leadership I deeply respect and, in some cases, have had the privilege to work alongside.
I recently met with Jason Crow and he stands out for his calm, principled leadership. As a veteran and public servant, he brings a grounded, service-first approach to national security and democracy, working across the aisle without compromising his values. That’s the kind of leadership I believe in.
I also admire Jamie Raskin for his brilliant constitutional mind and his extraordinary resilience. After suffering the profound personal loss of his son and facing serious personal health challenges, he showed the country what moral courage and public service look like under pressure. He brings both heart and intellect to every challenge.
Former Congresswoman Katie Porter set the gold standard for oversight and public accountability. Her mastery of the facts and her tireless, data-driven advocacy for working families continue to shape the debate here in California. Her blend of grit and intellect is exactly what we need more of in Washington.
Robert Garcia has quickly risen to national leadership as the new ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. When we Democrats take back the House, he’s poised to become Chair, with the subpoena power to investigate Trump-era corruption and enforce the rule of law. We’ve seen what real oversight can do. The last time Democrats flipped the House in 2018, eight Trump administration officials landed in prison. Garcia’s leadership is a reminder that oversight isn’t just about politics – it’s about consequences.
While maybe not a conventional choice, Adam Kinzinger earned my respect for putting country over party during one of the most dangerous chapters in our democracy. He knew the political cost and did the right thing anyway. That kind of courage is rare and desperately needed.
I also deeply admire my good friend Linda Sánchez, whom I worked closely with for years. Together, we supported the effort to shift Orange County from a deep-red stronghold to a more inclusive, representative region. Her leadership is principled, strategic, and deeply rooted in community, and I’m proud to have been in the trenches with her.
And I’ll always look to John Lewis as a moral compass. His life was a masterclass in courage, sacrifice, and conviction. His legacy is a reminder of who public service is meant to serve — and proof that moral courage beats political calculation every time.
Varet:
I greatly admire Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who represents my hometown of Dallas. It is incredibly encouraging to me that she has become an ally and mentor for my campaign. Aside from being a strong female role model, Rep. Crockett is a brilliant communicator and an insightful trained lawyer, dedicated to the rule of law and to honoring her oath of office every day with a fierce, unapologetic, and unyielding fight for her constituents and for her ideology-free common sense values.
Will you support the lead Democratic canddiate for Congress in CD40 in the Primary if its not you?
Gagnier:
I will support whoever is the Democratic nominee in the general election in November 2026.
Kerr:
Yes. I believe in the democratic process and putting the needs of this district first. Flipping this seat is bigger than any one candidate.
Varet:
100%! I am in this to retire Yong Kim and flip control of the House by any legal means necessary. If another Democratic candidate with a path to defeat Young Kim prevails in the primary, I will absolutely commit to supporting them – the most important issue in this particular election is WINNING. I would expect and hope that all of the other challenger candidates in this primary feel the same way and will reciprocate.