U.S. Rep. Young Kim, a Republican from Anaheim Hills, is in the political crosshairs of the national Democratic Party given that she represents a district with only a two-percentage-point GOP advantage. Kim was elected to the House of Representatives’ 39th District by slim margins in 2020, and was elected again to the 40th District after redistricting by a sizable margin.
The district is centered in north Orange County and includes portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. To close the gap in the purple-hued district, Democrats have moved toward the center by selecting Joe Kerr, the retired Orange County fire captain and former president of a firefighters’ union. His campaign website focuses on firefighting themes. Kerr portrays himself as a friend of the taxpayer.
Actually, he’s a union Democrat who takes progressive positions, but has a friendly, moderate demeanor. If he wins, we’d expect Kerr to be a party-line vote. Oddly, his campaign is portraying Kim as an extremist: “Washington D.C. is riddled with gridlock, corruption, divisive rhetoric, the lack of civility, and grandstanding. Career politicians like Young Kim are only adding fuel to the fire – and I know how to put those out.”
That is a cheap shot at odds with her actual record. We don’t always agree with her positions, but she is one of the few legislators from either party who has devoted her career to building bridges and reducing gridlock. She “has been repeatedly ranked among the most bipartisan and effective” members of Congress.
We appreciate her newfound candor. When we asked about GOP candidate Donald Trump’s plan for tariffs, she didn’t hesitate in expressing her opposition to them. “A tariff is a tax on Americans of all backgrounds,” she noted. “At a time when families and workers are hurting from persistent inflation, high taxes, and rising living costs, imposing tariffs on imported goods will raise prices and force them to stretch their budgets even further.”
She rightly also points to failures with both parties in fueling the national debt. “The United States is more than $35 trillion in debt,” she explains. “Our debt is 120% of our GDP, and the cost of interest on this debt surpasses the amount we spend on our nation’s defense. This is unsustainable – we cannot afford to continue down this fiscally reckless path and saddle our grandkids with the bill. This is both parties’ fault and requires both parties to come together to solve it.”
When she ran in 2022, we found it hard to pin down her political philosophy – but liked her commitment to constituent service and willingness to cross party lines.
She remains a capable, moderate lawmaker who is a great fit for this closely contested district. We endorse Young Kim for the 40th District.
Originally Published:
