Kim-Varet’s recent internal poll projects that she will clear the primary with a wide margin, advancing to the November general election in a statistical dead heat with either of CA-40’s two Republican incumbents. Esther Kim-Varet reported 9,386 contributions in Q4. In the first month of 2026, Kim-Varet raised 5,238 additional contributions totalling 47,391 contributions for the cycle.
COTO DE CAZA, CA — Esther Kim-Varet’s campaign to flip California’s 40th Congressional District received another huge boost from the latest FEC campaign finance disclosures. Kim-Varet’s campaign took in $2,363,643 in 2025, with an average donation of $28.91. The last quarter of 2025 closed out strong with $244,331 of contribution receipts. Kim-Varet ended 2025 with $1,161,617 of cash, more than 14X the cash-on-hand position of either of her remaining Democratic opponents. Democratic candidate Lisa Ramirez ended 2025 with $81,893 cash-on-hand. 40% of Ramirez’ 4th quarter contribution receipts came from Ramirez herself. The other Democratic candidate Joe Kerr ended 2025 with $9,789 cash-on-hand. The current cash advantage of Kim-Varet in the Democratic field is expected to widen exponentially.
In the first month of 2026, Kim-Varet’s viral social media accounts have averaged $8,000 a day in donations, with a new donation averaging every 8 minutes. There have been 30 million visitors to her accounts in the last 30 days alone. Kim-Varet is the only candidate in CA-40 with a campaign ready for political warfare in the digital age. Young Kim and Ken Calvert , the two corrupt MAGA incumbent Republicans both competing for the CA-40 seat, reported ending 2025 with cash positions of $5.5 million and $3.4 million respectively.
Despite the current cash advantage of the Republicans, Kim-Varet’s campaign released last week a significant new poll of 800 likely CA-40 voters that shows Kim-Varet TIED in a general election matchup against either Young Kim or Ken Calvert . The same poll projects Kim-Varet easily advancing to the general election. In a simulated June primary, Kim-Varet advances with 30% of likely voters, compared to 11% for all other Democratic and Independent candidates combined.
“Our latest polling data and fundraising results tell a clear story,” said Esther Kim-Varet. “In what was until now considered by many to be a safe Republican seat, polls show that I am already dead-even with the incumbents. My experience as an entrepreneurial small business owner helped me to build an innovative campaign that can actually achieve the visibility and funding needed to unite CA-40’s Democrats and connect with its large number of Independent voters. Let’s be for real: defeating the two deep-pocketed corrupt Republican incumbents running in this new district will require not only boldness, creativity, and integrity — but also substantial funding, media reach, and name recognition. Our campaign is the only one in this race with a viable path to flipping CA-40.”
Kim-Varet has received a string of high-profile endorsements, most recently from Rep. Jasmine Crockett, as well as state and local leaders, current and former members of Congress, and national organizations including the Congressional AAPI Caucus PAC. With Kim-Varet’s viral social media reach of over 30 million people in the past month alone, and support from more than 30,000 individual campaign contributors to date, her campaign is positioned to retire not one but two corrupt MAGA incumbents from Congress this November.
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California’s newly drawn 40th Congressional District, spanning portions of Riverside County and Orange County, is one of the most consequential U.S. House district battlegrounds in the nation. CA-40 includes the cities of Rancho Santa Margarita, Murrieta, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and Canyon Lake as well as parts of Mission Viejo, Orange, Anaheim and Corona. First-time candidate Esther Kim-Varet has raised over $2.5 million to date from over 30,000 individual contributors across the nation. Esther is not a politician — she is a working mom of two young kids, running for Congress to restore the American Dream for all. In Congress, Esther will combat corruption, defend democracy, and fight for the middle class, small businesses, public education, and healthcare access.
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