Can a rock star defeat a political titan? California district race could go down to the wire

Myers, a former OneRepublic bassist and producer, announced his campaign Thursday.

PUBLISHED 6 DAYS AGO

Tim Myers (right), a former OneRepublic bassist and producer, announced his campaign Thursday, framing the race as a battle against Washington stagnation and its representative Ken Calvert.

Los Angeles: Democrats are turning to Grammy-nominated musician Tim Myers in their bid to unseat longtime Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in California’s competitive 41st District, as the party fights to reclaim the House and block President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Myers, a former OneRepublic bassist and producer, announced his campaign Thursday, framing the race as a battle against Washington stagnation. “Ken Calvert has been in Washington for 30 years,” Myers said in a launch video. “The status quo isn’t working.” The Riverside County district, stretching from LA suburbs to Palm Springs, is a top Democratic target in 2026.

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Republicans quickly dismissed Myers as a “Hollywood liberal” out of touch with the region, despite the fact that Myers grew up in Corona, most of which is in the district, but now lives in neighboring Los Angeles County. Myers is leveraging his local ties and music-industry resilience to position himself as a fresh alternative to Calvert, the longest-serving GOP congressman in California.

Calvert survived close races in 2022 and 2024, winning by just 3 points last cycle. Myers is attacking Trump-era policies on veterans’ care and inflation, while highlighting local struggles like housing costs and wildfires. “Our community is being priced out,” he said.