Barbara Boxer retired from politics. Then her home got redistricted into a GOP seat

[unitedwethrive]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Barbara-Boxer-retired-from-politics-Then-her-17218846.php

"...Boxer, a former Bay Area resident, has largely retired to the Palm Springs area, where she helped in 2012 to flip a formerly GOP congressional seat to elect Rep. Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert to represent the Coachella Valley. But California’s citizen redistricting commission last year split the valley in two, placing the part she lives in with the western part of Riverside County, a district represented by Republican Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona.

“As a Democrat, you worked so hard to get Raul Ruiz elected, he’s incredible, you wake up the next day and your congressman is going to be Ken Calvert, you ask yourself, wait a minute, am I on the moon?” Boxer recalled.

Boxer has now thrown herself into the campaign to unseat Calvert — a race that Democrats in Riverside County say is a sleeper."

[Akakoji]

1. Great news

We need every seat in Cali!

[IngridsLittleAngel]

2. Calvert is scum - with all due apologies to scum

Mind you, he's looking sane now compared to the likes of Paul Grossar and Empty Greene and Bang Bang Barbie... But he's still a corrupt greedy hypocrite.

Thank goodness for the 2010 redistricting which now means I'm represented by Mark Takano and not Ken "Family values means being arrested in my car while drunk with a prostitute!" Calvert.

[Scottie Mom]

3. I have known that POS since he was a snot nosed kid in grade school

Scum is too good a word for him. Ken Calvert is a total and complete useless asshole...and those are his best points.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

4. I'm sorry

I only had to endure his reign of terror representing my district for the better part of 20 years. I never had the misfortune of meeting him, though, I exchanged words with people at his office more than once.

On the other hand, Mark Takano was one of my teachers in the late 80's, and I am proud to have known him and now have him representing me.

[Scottie Mom]

5. I also knew his dad,Cal. Apple did not fall far from the tree.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

6. I'm not surprised...

I'm guessing the entire family is like that. Look no further than the greed and corruption and dirty deals we've seen from the family business, Calvert Construction. And, of course, a big part of why Kenny keeps landing on the list of 15 most corrupt members of Congress is thanks to him using his position to enrich and empower the family company.

[Scottie Mom]

7. We're you around in the days of the Corona Bowl?

The Dad ran that place. Was the hang out for all of the drunk building contractors in town. I was around Corona when there were only two stop lights in town and 13,000 residents. The more things change, some times the more they stay the same.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

8. I think I was but I would've been very young back then..

I've heard bits and pieces about it over the years but I think the Corona Bowl - or at least its heyday - was a bit before my time.

Though, when I was growing up in the 80's, I do recall Corona still being a fairly small town. Population maybe in the 50,000 or so range. A lot of older buildings still, and quite a few parts that seemed to be nothing but empty fields or lots.

It certainly has grown, but... The more things change, as you said. Not unlike what I've seen from many parts of the Inland Empire over the years.

[Scottie Mom]

9. I was around in the 60s. Really a small berg then.

Moved to LA over 20 years ago and forgot how conservative the Inland Empire can be

[IngridsLittleAngel]

10. I was born in the mid 70's

So some of my earlier memories would be shortly before the population really exploded around here and we saw a lot of "out with the old, in with the new" - at least as far as real estate.

It's still way too conservative here. Not quite as bad as it was when I was growing up, but... "No" on the 2021 recall barely won out in San Bernardino county, and won out by a few points in Riverside county. There's still way too much homophobia and transphobia for my liking, contrary to what we see in SF and LA and SD.

So... Slow progress? Maybe it's closer to 1909 here than 1888 now? I had a copy say that to me once in 2009 on the matter of social issues here. "It's 2009 but it may as well still be 1888."

[Scottie Mom]

11. Totally agree.

It really is different out there. And I think it has gotten more conservative.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

12. Some parts, perhaps.. Others, a bit more progressive

Redistricting or not, I don't think there would be a chance in hell of Takano winning here in the 80's or 90's, especially with him being openly gay. So the fact he's now served 5 terms and appears to be on his way to a 6th shows me at least parts of the area have improved.

Some of them, though, still have a ton of work to do.

[brooklynite]

13. This is why I crunch election data

Boxer in a Red House district is a dramatic story, but the reality is, Cook, Sabato and Gonzales say this is a LIKELY R seat today and Calvert has about twice the funding that the three Democratic candidates have.