It’s political déjà vu in California’s 41st District with a rematch between Republican Rep. Ken Calvert and Democrat and former federal prosecutor Will Rollins.

Rollins ran a competitive campaign in 2022, losing to Calvert by less than 5% in the newly redrawn district, which stretches from Riverside to the Coachella Valley.

Democrats are now pouring millions of dollars into the race to help flip the House majority.

Rollins spoke with “Inside the Issues” host Amrit Singh in July about his run for one of the most competitive congressional seats in the country.

“In ’22, I was a complete rookie in politics. I had a career that I loved in national security at the justice department. And that was a job that I had wanted to have since I was a kid. On 9/11, I saw the north tower collapse, thought about enlisting in the military, but was closeted, petrified by being outed, and it took me a long time to get into counter terrorism at the department of justice. But it wasn’t until Jan. 6^th and seeing Ken Calvert vote to decertify the election that I impulsively decided to run for Congress,” he said.

The race has gotten heated in recent months as Rollins accused his opponent of using earmarks to benefit his own personal real estate investments saying, “If you, as the member of Congress know where the earmark is going in advance and you go out and you tell your real estate partner, 'Hey, buy up this vacant parcel of land so we can turn around and flip it as soon as a new highway exchange comes in and make almost a million bucks,' I mean, that’s a big problem.”

It is not unlawful for lawmakers to invest in real estate, even if it is within their district. Calvert has denied any wrongdoing.

Rollins also responded to Calvert's accusations that he reduced sentences for predators and has a record that is soft on crime.

"I've prosecuted sex offenders and I think having that contrast of having somebody who knows what it takes to secure the border, who has gone after MS-13, The Sinaloa Cartel, drug traffickers, versus somebody on the other side of the isle who says that the FBI has been infiltrated by rot, who has voted to defund the federal law enforcement — that is the contrast that I am thrilled to campaign on and look forward to heading into November."

Watch the full interview with Will Rollins by clicking the arrow in the video above.

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