The CA-40 congressional candidate is young, smart, well-spoken, well-financed and social media savvy. But does she live in the district? (And does that even matter?)
First, thank you so much for covering local politics. I've really enjoyed reading your articles and appreciate the hard work it takes to cover these people and politics. While it violates California law to live outside the district you represent, the Constitution allows it for Congress to prevent gerrymandering incumbents out of their seats. As Richard points out, many members live outside their districts so it's not a legal question. The spirit and intent behind districts obviously would be for people to live in their districts, and some do move eventually.
I'm not sure if Young Kim has always lived in the district. Michelle Steel lives in Palos Verdes, and I don't know if she ever had a residence in the 40th.
The bigger question is why it's been so difficult to find a great candidate from the 40th to challenge Young Kim. It would be nice to have someone with elected experience and community relationships.
The 2024 challenger, Joe Kerr (failed candidate in multiple races) lives in Coto de Caza and was less than an inspiring candidate. So, of course, he's running again.
The 2022 challenger, Asif Mahmood was from Los Angeles and had never been elected to anything.
Esther Kim Varet and Nina Linh both seem to be from Los Angeles with no OC connections and no elected experience.
More troubling from your article is not having a good answer to the question. The one candidate who's actually been elected to something and she's not prepared with an answer. Does not bode well.
With so many Democratic candidates banking on the expected Blue Wave to get them elected if they survive the primary, it's going to be a brutal bloodbath of attacks to emerge victoriously. Which will leave the eventual winner pretty bloody and damaged and give Young Kim a front row seat for which messages work with the voters to use against her challenger.
I agree with Michael Golden. Katie Porter could win this seat.
Better that we shore up Dave Min's seat and work at making Young Kim vote the moderate/centrist image she's cultivated. Watch the Reconciliation Bill and make sure she doesn't vote to trim or redirect SS/Medicare/Medicaid funding.
Too late to ask Katie to reconsider her run for the Governor's mansion? Katie retaking another House seat would be my ideal scenario.
Living outside the district is a deal breaker and renting a studio apartment smacks of disingenuous opportunism.
I say work at making Young Kim live up to her centrist image AND replace her if possible. But this discussion is right in pointing out that a good candidate is needed.
When I checked https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative I discovered that yes, indeed, Christina Gagnier lives in CD 40. It seems Chino Hills and zip code 91709 is split between CD 35 and CD 40 - just like Laguna Woods. In order to know which district an address belongs to, you have to enter the address.
I have a screenshot, but I don't think I can upload it here. I will email it to Jeff.
I have been informed that the address I used is the campaign office rather than the home address. This makes sense given that I got it from the FEC. So I may well be wrong, and if so, I apologize for adding confusion.
I live in a district (NY-1) where our Congressman lives outside the district. It doesn't seem to bother his supporters, who have elected him twice. Of course, I do wish all candidates would just be upfront about it rather than wormy.
Doesn't Young Kim reside primarily in LA? Esther Kim Varet just bought a place in Aliso Viejo, I believe.
It seems like there is some disagreement about where she lives, so it's important for her to clear that up. If she lives litterally on the edge of the district, I dont think that's necessarily disqualifying. If I lived a little further south in MV, I would be in Mike Levin's district, but I would still have knowledge of 40. There is a difference in living a few miles outside of the district and living in LA.
I think it IS important that our rep lives in the district if for no other reason than the optics. Perhaps importantly, it would give me pause as a voter.
Jeff, please post a correction in tomorrow' blog. Gagnier is probably the best candidate we have, and it will not do for her already to be painted in a negative light! We NEED to defeat Young Kim.
What correction are you looking for? He gave an honest observation. We need transparency, and that means communicating information to each other, not scrubbing it. I promise this post doesn’t turn me off from voting for her. I don’t need a perfect candidate but I do want as much information as i can get. I want to be informed and I appreciate his posts.
If she really lives on the periphery of the 40th district, it doesn't seem unreasonable to maybe rehearse the answer so when people inevitable ask about her residency, it doesn't sound stilted.
First, thank you so much for covering local politics. I've really enjoyed reading your articles and appreciate the hard work it takes to cover these people and politics. While it violates California law to live outside the district you represent, the Constitution allows it for Congress to prevent gerrymandering incumbents out of their seats. As Richard points out, many members live outside their districts so it's not a legal question. The spirit and intent behind districts obviously would be for people to live in their districts, and some do move eventually.
I'm not sure if Young Kim has always lived in the district. Michelle Steel lives in Palos Verdes, and I don't know if she ever had a residence in the 40th.
The bigger question is why it's been so difficult to find a great candidate from the 40th to challenge Young Kim. It would be nice to have someone with elected experience and community relationships.
The 2024 challenger, Joe Kerr (failed candidate in multiple races) lives in Coto de Caza and was less than an inspiring candidate. So, of course, he's running again.
The 2022 challenger, Asif Mahmood was from Los Angeles and had never been elected to anything.
Esther Kim Varet and Nina Linh both seem to be from Los Angeles with no OC connections and no elected experience.
More troubling from your article is not having a good answer to the question. The one candidate who's actually been elected to something and she's not prepared with an answer. Does not bode well.
With so many Democratic candidates banking on the expected Blue Wave to get them elected if they survive the primary, it's going to be a brutal bloodbath of attacks to emerge victoriously. Which will leave the eventual winner pretty bloody and damaged and give Young Kim a front row seat for which messages work with the voters to use against her challenger.
I agree with Michael Golden. Katie Porter could win this seat.
Better that we shore up Dave Min's seat and work at making Young Kim vote the moderate/centrist image she's cultivated. Watch the Reconciliation Bill and make sure she doesn't vote to trim or redirect SS/Medicare/Medicaid funding.
Too late to ask Katie to reconsider her run for the Governor's mansion? Katie retaking another House seat would be my ideal scenario.
Living outside the district is a deal breaker and renting a studio apartment smacks of disingenuous opportunism.
I say work at making Young Kim live up to her centrist image AND replace her if possible. But this discussion is right in pointing out that a good candidate is needed.
When I checked https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative I discovered that yes, indeed, Christina Gagnier lives in CD 40. It seems Chino Hills and zip code 91709 is split between CD 35 and CD 40 - just like Laguna Woods. In order to know which district an address belongs to, you have to enter the address.
I have a screenshot, but I don't think I can upload it here. I will email it to Jeff.
I have been informed that the address I used is the campaign office rather than the home address. This makes sense given that I got it from the FEC. So I may well be wrong, and if so, I apologize for adding confusion.
I posted the image in the chat.
I live in a district (NY-1) where our Congressman lives outside the district. It doesn't seem to bother his supporters, who have elected him twice. Of course, I do wish all candidates would just be upfront about it rather than wormy.
Doesn't Young Kim reside primarily in LA? Esther Kim Varet just bought a place in Aliso Viejo, I believe.
It seems like there is some disagreement about where she lives, so it's important for her to clear that up. If she lives litterally on the edge of the district, I dont think that's necessarily disqualifying. If I lived a little further south in MV, I would be in Mike Levin's district, but I would still have knowledge of 40. There is a difference in living a few miles outside of the district and living in LA.
I think it IS important that our rep lives in the district if for no other reason than the optics. Perhaps importantly, it would give me pause as a voter.
She does not live in the district.
She does indeed live in the district, according to https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative. I posted a screenshot in the chat.
Is the issue so much where she lives or how she answered the question?
Jeff, please post a correction in tomorrow' blog. Gagnier is probably the best candidate we have, and it will not do for her already to be painted in a negative light! We NEED to defeat Young Kim.
What correction are you looking for? He gave an honest observation. We need transparency, and that means communicating information to each other, not scrubbing it. I promise this post doesn’t turn me off from voting for her. I don’t need a perfect candidate but I do want as much information as i can get. I want to be informed and I appreciate his posts.
If she really lives on the periphery of the 40th district, it doesn't seem unreasonable to maybe rehearse the answer so when people inevitable ask about her residency, it doesn't sound stilted.
Fifty-five House members live outside their district so I don't think it's that big of a deal.
https://youtu.be/TYD8Ql3LM_w?si=L2-WFt3NIRYp-ZXO&t=27
I think it’s crazy. I really do.
It is not a good starting fact for trying to topple an incumbent. We need clean as a whistle with all her other qualities.