In the race for the U.S. House, Democrats are hoping to use pop rock star appeal to unseat a long-serving Republican representative from east of Los Angeles as they try to regain control of the House and slow President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Tim Myers, a former bassist for OneRepublic who has been nominated for a Grammy, announced Thursday that he will run against Rep. Ken Calvert in California’s 41st District, which stretches from the suburbs of L.A. to the resort area of Palm Springs.
“Ken Calvert has been in Washington for 30 years,” Myers says in a video announcing his campaign. “The status quo isn’t working.”
Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the House Republicans’ campaign committee, responded, calling Myers “everything wrong with today’s radical left: a Hollywood liberal trying to fake his way into Riverside County.”
Myers grew up in Corona, a city mostly within the district, but now lives in Los Angeles County.
As competitive House races become rarer, Democrats see Calvert’s district as one of their best chances to gain ground in the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 220-213 majority.
Gretchen Whitmer gives a policy speechWith Republicans controlling Congress and the White House, Democrats are focusing on this California race to help them take back the House and counter the Trump administration on issues like immigration and the environment.
Myers, a successful producer, songwriter, and solo artist, is presenting himself as a change-maker against Calvert, one of the longest-serving members of the House. Myers, 40, was in second grade when Calvert was first elected in 1992.
In his campaign video, filmed in a recording studio, Myers talks about growing up as a pastor’s son in Corona. He shares his experiences in the tough music industry, which eventually led him to start his own record label. Now living in Hidden Hills, a wealthy neighborhood in Los Angeles County known for housing musicians and actors, Myers criticizes Trump’s policies, claiming they hurt veterans and increase consumer costs.
“Our community is being priced out of homeownership, groceries are more expensive every week, and we’re constantly under threat from wildfires and rising crime,” Myers said in a statement. “It’s time for a change.”
Republicans hold a slight advantage in voter registration in the district, with less than a 2-point lead over Democrats. Calvert has won tough races in the last two elections. He won by a 3-point margin in 2024, the same year Trump won the district by 6 points over Democrat Kamala Harris, the former U.S. senator and attorney general of California.
The House Democrats’ campaign committee has named Calvert a top target for 2026, as they did in 2024. Calvert’s campaign raised over $1.3 million in the first quarter of 2025.
California is generally a liberal state, with Democrats holding every statewide office, dominating the Legislature and congressional delegation, and having a 2-to-1 advantage in registered voters. However, Republicans still have influence in some Southern California suburbs and rural areas, including the Central Valley farm region.