ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Update: Nov. 22
The Associated Press has projected that Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley will defeat Democrat Kermit Jones for California's 3rd Congressional District.
Original Story:
Before the state’s electoral map was redrawn, the foothills from Gold County to Kings Canyon were the domain of longtime Republican Rep. Tom McClintock. But the new map divided McClintock’s former dominion in two. And when he opted to run in the southwestern segment, this seat was left wide open.
Kiley, a Republican Assemblymember from Rocklin, is a darling of California conservatism and a 37-year-old Ivy League-educated lawyer who ran a long-shot campaign for governor in last year’s recall race. He’s spent much of his legislative career introducing equally long-shot bills designed to irk and embarrass Democrats. That has served him well in this congressional race. In the primary, Kiley easily fended off a Republican Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, helped by Kiley’s frequent appearances on Fox News and his position as one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s most persistent critics. An endorsement by former President Donald Trump probably helped, too.
Though the district leans red, it’s not quite as crimson as its prior incarnation. That’s mostly thanks to redistricting. But an influx of Bay Area refugees, driven east both by high home prices on the coast and the pandemic, have also brought their liberal politics with them. Democrat Jones, a Placerville Navy surgeon-turned-internal medicine doctor with a law degree, is hoping his relatively moderate political message, his super-charged resume and his strategy of depicting Kiley as an extremist will give him a fighting chance in a district where Republican voters still predominate.
Kiley vs Jones for Congress: Election Results
View election updates for the race between Kevin Kiley and Dr. Kermit Jones below. Results released on election night are unofficial results. Mail-in ballots will be coming in over the next week, and the last day for counties to certify results is on Dec. 8.
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