LOS ANGELES — U.S. Representative Young Kim (R-CA) has fallen short in her campaign for a fourth term following a fiercely contested primary battle against a long-serving congressional colleague.

According to data released by the Associated Press, with approximately 71% of the ballots processed in California’s 40th Congressional District, Rep. Kim garnered 46.6% of the vote. Her opponent, fellow Republican Representative Ken Calvert, secured 53.6%.

The intra-party showdown occurred in a reliably conservative district—a rare political landscape within the heavily Democratic state of California. The unprecedented matchup between two incumbent Republicans was triggered by sweeping redistricting changes implemented last year. Rep. Calvert, who previously represented the 40th district's neighboring areas, shifted his base after his former constituency transitioned into a Democratic-leaning zone. Under California’s "jungle primary" framework, the top two vote-getters advance to the general ballot regardless of party lines, paving the way for the intra-party clash.

Rep. Calvert, 73, brings more than three decades of legislative experience to the table, having first entered the House in 1992. Local media reports note he stands as the longest-serving Republican House member from California.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kim departs Capitol Hill after a notable tenure marked by key legislative achievements. Most notably, she made history in 2023 by becoming the first Korean-American woman to chair the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and she successfully championed the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act in 2022.

An Incheon native, Kim immigrated to Guam in 1975 before moving to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California (USC). Before entering public service as an aide to former pro-Korean U.S. Representative Ed Royce, she worked in the financial sector and ran her own apparel business. She later broke ground by winning a seat in the California State Assembly in 2014 before securing her election to federal office in 2020.

Following the election results, Rep. Kim issued a public statement congratulating Rep. Calvert on his win while voicing disappointment over how recent boundary changes impacted the outcome of her campaign.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]