Democrat Katherine Aleman challenges California’s longest-serving GOP congressman in 41st district race

Meet Katherine Aleman, candidate for CA District 41

Teacher Katherine Aleman is looking to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert in California's 41st Congressional District race.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - A Riverside County teacher is running for congress, looking to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert, the longest serving Republican in California’s congressional delegation. 

Katherine Aleman officially launched her campaign for California's 41st Congressional District.

What they're saying:

Having been raised in the Inland Empire, Aleman said she knows first-hand the struggles families in the community are going through. 

"Our residents deserve a representative who's walked in their shoes, knows how to balance a household budget, knows the challenges of starting a small business. And that's exactly why I'm running for Congress. We need someone who is going to serve the community instead of serving themselves," Aleman said on FOX 11. 

"We keep seeing an increase in costs: the price of eggs, the prices of groceries, of rent, gas. You know now we're going to see cuts in healthcare. We're going see cuts of nutrition for 30,000 families," she added. 

Aleman, who raises chickens and sells eggs, said the price of goods has gone up because of corporate price-gouging, forcing working families to pay the cost. 

"During the pandemic, we had corporations and businesses who drove up the cost of goods, not because they had to, but simply because they could."

Running as a democrat, Aleman said her experience sets her apart in the race. 

"You know I'm the Democrat that should go up against Ken Calvert because I'm the only Democrat in this field that has ran tough races and won. Norco is the second reddest city in the district, it's plus 30 Republicans. You know, I ran a hard campaign. I was elected and I served with Republicans. We balanced the budget, bought land for affordable housing for veterans. We fixed a ton of streets. We invested in public safety. I listened to my residents. I showed up for them and I have a track record of getting things done," she stated. 

Who Is Katherine Aleman?

Aleman is a public school teacher and mother of four. She served on the Norco City Council and in the Peace Corps. She is the daughter of a Marine helicopter pilot and was raised on the El Toro Marine Corps base. Aleman is also a small business owner, raising chickens and running an egg stand.

Calvert is the longest-serving Republican in California’s congressional delegation, having been first elected in 1992. He defeated Democratic challenger Will Rollins in 2024 and again in 2022. 

What's next:

The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026. All 435 House seats will be up for election.