Rancho Mirage, CA

The Coachella Valley is about to see a hotly contested Congressional race this November with former four-term California Senator, Barbara Boxer playing a key role.

Boxer, who retired in 2017, has been a resident of Rancho Mirage since 2005. Like many other residents, she found out in late 2021, that her congressional district had been redistricted by the California Citizen Redistricting Commission.

The Commission split the Coachella Valley into two, placing parts of the western valley including Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and La Quinta into the 41st Congressional district represented by Republican incumbent Ken Calvert. His seat is being challenged by Democratic Challenger and Boxer backed Will Rollins.

Pictured from BallotPedia shows the California Congressional District 41 before and after the 2020 redistricting:

Yesterday, both Ken Calvert and Will Rollins finished 1st and 2nd in the primary and will go to the runoff in November with many votes up for grabs.

Here are the current results from June 7th’s primary election:

Rollins, who is gay, closely aligns with the area’s large LGBTQ population in a race that may draw national interest as Democrats are hoping to stave off a Republican takeover of Congress this midterm.

Calvert, a lifelong resident of Riverside County has held his current Congressional seat since 2013 with a Republican stronghold.

In the meantime, former Senator Barbara Boxer is not just staying active in California’s 41st Congressional District race. She is continuing to speak up on current hotbed issues such as abortion and gun control.

On her latest Twitter message on June 3rd she chastises Republicans on gun control writing, “Message to Republicans in Congress: if you can’t pass sensible gun laws supported by more than 80% of the people then get out of public service. Face defeat at the polls if you are so scared and cowardly that you can’t even protect little children.”