Even in an era of declining rates of violent crime nationwide, Republicans continue to bash Democrats on the issue. But a former federal prosecutor campaigning in a purple-tinged district in Southern California is striking back.
Democrat Will Rollins, making his second run against Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in California’s 41st District, is leaning heavily on his background as an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting drug dealers, sex offenders, gang associates and a Jan. 6 defendant. He has portrayed Calvert as an entrenched conservative with questionable ethics who is politically out-of-step with an increasingly diverse district.
Calvert, the longest-serving Republican in the California delegation, is an appropriator and has highlighted his ability to secure more than a billion in federal funds for projects in the district. He is currently the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a high-profile perch. His campaign rejects allegations of corruption, saying the claims were investigated and dismissed years ago, and accuses Rollins of inflating his law enforcement credentials to win votes.
