Republican Young Kim defeated Democrat Incumbent Rep. Gil Cisneros, according to the Associated Press, becoming the second republican candidate to flip a Democratic-held seat in California.
The race was a rematch from 2018, when Cisneros defeated Kim, the Associated Press reported.
BREAKING: Republican Young Kim wins election to U.S. House in California’s 39th Congressional District, beating incumbent Rep. Gil Cisneros. #APracecall at 5:36 p.m. PST. #Election2020 #CAelection https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 14, 2020
Kim joins California Congresswoman-elect Michelle Steel and Washington Congresswoman-elect Marilyn Strickland as the first Korean American women to be elected to Congress. Like Kim, Steel also flipped a Democratic-held seat in California’s 48th District.
Kim was born in South Korea and grew up in Guam. She’s a former state lawmaker who managed to overcome a Democratic registration edge in the district which includes portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, according to KSAT.
The former state politician ran on a mixed platform that includes keeping taxes low, increasing trade, protecting DACA recipients while also strengthening border security. (RELATED: Californians Vote Down Proposition That Would Reinstate Affirmative Action)
Kim and Steele’s win was a sharp contrast against the states general vote for President, where President Donald Trump received roughly one third of all California votes.