Congressional candidates discuss immigration, tax policies

Editor's note: This is the part of a series of stories that are appearing this week on the June 2 primary election in California. The stories include comments from candidates who agreed to interviews with The Center Square. This story has been updated to add more details on campaign fundraising for U.S. Rep. Young Kim, R-California. Residents in California's newly redrawn 40th and 41st congressional districts are considering immigration enforcement and tax policies as they prepare to select candidates for the June 2 primary. The two districts were altered after the passage of Proposition 50, a measure designed to give Democrats five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The new districts put incumbent Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, both R-California, in district 40 while Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., will seek office in district 41. "I call it gerrymandering," Nina Linh, an independent candidate running in the 40th district, told The Center Square. "Gerrymandering is a dangerous process, and it breeds hyper divisiveness and polarization." Linh said she chose to run as an independent candidate in the 40th congressional district after the passage of Proposition 50. She previously ran as a Democrat. Calvert, California's longest serving Republican representative, has received more than $3.1 million in contributions, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings. Calvert's campaign has been supported by defense contractors and aligned groups in the race against Kim. The Americans 4 Security Political Action Committee spent $250,000 on ads against Kim on Monday as part of a broader $2.9 million spending campaign to support Calvert in the redrawn district. Calvert is chair of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, and makes key determinations on how funds are presented to military contractors. Kim has roughly $6.1 million in contributions, according to the latest Federal Election Commission filings. Donations have come from the American Council of Engineering Companies PAC, the H&R Block Inc. PAC and the Honeywell International PAC. Kim celebrated the Trump administration's tax cut policies. She praised the push for Trump accounts and has called for Congress to codify it into law. "We encourage students to be better incentivized to learn about how can I maximize those funds when I turn 18 and be able to invest those funds directly," Kim said. "If something like this Trump account is working really well, why not make it into a permanent program?" Linh and Lisa Ramirez, an immigration lawyer running as a Democrat in the 40th district, said the contest will open opportunities for their campaigns. Ramirez told The Center Square that California's redistricting effort is a "necessary compromise." "It's a war for our democracy," Ramirez said. "It's a war for our constitutional rights. It's a war for the voice of the American people. It's a war for the future of this country." Ramirez said she is seeking office in the 40th district to oppose the Trump administration's immigration enforcement measures. She said businesses are being targeted. "It's actually a war against U.S. citizens because, especially in Southern California, these immigrants don't live in a vacuum," Ramirez said. "They are deeply connected and intertwined in mixed-status families. It's really an attack on our economy." She said she would not support the Dignity Act, a bipartisan proposal that establishes a seven-year temporary legal status for immigrants in the United States. The program does not offer a pathway to citizenship. "It is taxation without representation. It is the most un-American philosophy that I fundamentally would not be able to support," Ramirez said. "Any legalization program must ensure a pathway to citizenship." According to the latest FEC filings, Ramirez received $371,498 in contributions toward her campaign. Linh has received $157,231, according to the filings. Linh said she would push for an expanded child tax credit if elected. She said affordability concerns are consistent for residents in the district. She also called for accountability for federal dollars spent in programs across the country. Linh slammed the "use it or lose it" policy adopted by state and federal governments regarding budget allocations. The policy generally holds that the government should spend all allocated funds before the fiscal year ends. "They don't understand what it's like to be responsible for other people's paychecks," Linh said. "They don't know how to manage money. This happens not in just one department, it is across all departments." In California's 41st congressional district, Rep. Linda Sanchez, who currently serves in the 38th congressional district, will be the only incumbent in the race. She will face off against civil rights advocate Shonique Williams and workforce director Hector De La Torre. Sanchez has more than $1.1 million in contributions, according to most recent FEC filings. She has received donations from the UnitedHealth Group Inc. Political Action Committee, the Pfizer Inc. PAC and the Blue Shield of California PAC. "She is fighting every day to lower costs for working families, protect her community from Trump and ICE, and make Southern California a better place to live and work for everyone," Sanchez's website reads. Mitch Clemmons, a plumbing contractor, is the long Republican seeking election to California's newly redrawn 41st district. He has called for lowering taxes and reducing the national debt. Clemmons did not respond to The Center Square's multiple requests for an interview. "He's not a career politician – he's a citizen servant who believes Washington needs more people and fewer insiders," Clemmons' campaign website says about the candidate. Voting centers will be open May 23 to June 1 in Voter's Choice Act counties and May 30 to June 1 elsewhere. Voters should check with their counties for further details. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 2, Election Day. For more information, go to the Secretary of State's website, sos.ca.gov. Early election results will be published on the evening of June 2 at www.thecentersquare.com/california.