“In what is her fourth bid for office this decade, Young Kim has shown her loyalty is to President Trump and the Washington Republican agenda that no longer matches an increasingly diverse and growingly purple district. While Gil Cisneros has worked across the aisle to bring down the cost of health care, serve Southern California veterans, and fix our broken immigration system, Young Kim has continued her embrace of Washington Republicans’ health care repeal agenda and higher taxes on California homeowners. There’s only one candidate in this race who has shown he will fight to put the needs of Southern California families first, and I look forward to continuing to serve with Gil in Congress for years to come.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos
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To: Interested Parties
From: Andy Orellana, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: March 3, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Young Kim
The contest between Young Kim and Gil Cisneros is a rematch that pits a failed politician, longtime political operative and Trump-supporting tax cheat who took over $1 million in taxpayer-funded salaries and state-funded benefits against a veteran, education advocate and sitting Member of Congress who speaks directly to the voters of his district.
In 2018, Gil Cisneros showed he was the strongest candidate in part thanks to his powerful story of service as an education advocate and Navy Veteran, but also his record of giving back to his community when good fortune came his way. Put simply, Cisneros has truly lived a life of service and of paying it forward. Last cycle, Cisneros clearly showed his ability to appeal to the racially and demographic diversity of California’s 39th, as well as voters across the political spectrum. Those same strengths and bipartisan appeal remain true today, as Rep. Cisneros continues his focus in Congress on serving the veterans of Orange County and fighting for the diverse, working class communities of his district.
Meanwhile, Young Kim’s deep allegiance to Trump, the Washington GOP Swamp and Republican dogma no longer matches an increasingly diverse district that Hillary Clinton won by 8 points in 2016 and where Democrats have nearly a 3 point lead in voter registration after a longtime Republican registration advantage. After being rejected by voters in 2016 and then again in 2018, Young Kim’s continued embrace of the Trump GOP Agenda including the tax scam and health care repeal plan has done little to endear her to voters who have felt the brunt end of rising Rx drug costs, skyrocketing health care premiums, and higher tax burdens that have hurt California homeowners particularly hard.
While Young Kim spouts Republican talking points and lets the Washington GOP swamp announce her third failed bid for office, Rep. Cisneros is focused on fighting for veterans, expanding educational opportunity for everyone, lowering healthcare costs and premiums, and fighting for real tax relief for the middle-class in Southern California.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Headline: Rep. Cisneros Helps Launch Military Transition Caucus. [OC Weekly, 11/25/19]
Headline: Korean Immigrants Who Fought With U.S. In Vietnam Would Get Healthcare Under New Bill; The Valor Act, Pushed By Rep. Gil Cisneros And Others, Would Give Some 3,000 Korean Americans Access To VA Care. [Orange County Register, 2/23/20]
Headline: Rep. Cisneros Questions VA Officials On Veteran Suicides. [OC Weekly, 11/20/19]
Headline: Rep. Cisneros Calls For Humane Immigration Reform. [OC Weekly, 11/06/19]
Headline: Democratic Congressman Gil Cisneros On Why He Supports A Bill That Would Help Address The Crisis At The Border. [KCRW, 6/25/19]
Headline: Cisneros: We Need To Do More Than Just Listen To Stories Of Gun Violence Survivors. [Voice of OC, 2/06/20]
“At this stage in 2018, Republicans held a slim registration edge in the 39th District, anchored in the one-time GOP stronghold of Orange County […] But Democrats grabbed a tiny registration advantage in the district later in 2018 and it’s continued to grow. State figures released last week show Democrats have built up a nearly 3 percentage-point margin over the GOP as Republican Young Kim angles for a November rematch against Cisneros.” [Associated Press, 2/15/20]
YOUNG KIM: FAILED TRUMP POLITICIAN, CAREER OF CANDIDACY, TAX EVADER
Out of touch with the voters, supporting Trump after voters rejected his presidency
Young Kim’s allegiance to Trump and the Washington Republican agenda will once again prove electorally fatal. In a changing and increasingly diverse district, where Clinton won by 8 points and where Democrats now have nearly a 3-point lead in voter registration, Young Kim is stuck between a rock and a hard place. For her to keep her base, she must continue to walk a deeply unpopular party line on taxes and health care, which will alienate the cross-over voters necessary to win this increasingly blue district.
This political tightrope of supporting Trump is not one Young Kim has walked particularly well – she has called Trump’s record “pretty good,” and supported his tax scam while praising his “decisive leadership.” Kim said will vote for Trump in 2020, but when asked whether she would be opening to campaigning with Donald Trump in 2018, she responded “I’m going to talk to my consultants.”
Embracing the GOP Tax Scam Despite Failing to Pay Her Own Taxes
Despite the devastating impact of the Republican tax law on Southern Californians, Young Kim has embraced the Washington Republican tax scam. A total of 33% of CA-39 residents benefit from the SALT deduction, with the GOP tax law eliminated savings on $11,171 worth of taxes for the average homeowner in the district. But even more egregious than just supporting a tax hike on Southern California homeowners, Young Kim failed to pay her own taxes in Orange County after wrongly claiming a tax deduction.
Don’t forget – the Washington Republican tax scam will increase the national debt by $1.9 trillion, resulting in nearly one million Californians who paid $12 billion more in higher taxes, and gives 83% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. It also increases incentives for companies to move jobs overseas and lines the pockets of big pharma and drug manufacturers — while millions of middle-class families pay more over time.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast to Kim’s record on taxes, Rep. Gil Cisneros has led the charge in Congress to protect homeowners from the GOP’s tax hike on Orange County homeowners. Cisneros called on Congress to take bipartisan action to repeal the SALT cap that is hurting Southern California homeowners.
Supports Skyrocketing Healthcare Premiums in California, Jeopardizing Constituents’ Health Care
Given her longstanding allegiance to DC Republicans, Young Kim unsurprisingly opposes the ACA and is even open to repealing it. But the Republican replacement would have gutted pre-existing condition protections and jeopardized health insurance for 70,000 people in CA-39. Additionally, it imposed an age tax on seniors, gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and did nothing to lower the price of prescription drugs. Due to Washington Republican’s agenda of undermining health care protections and Kim’s unwillingness to speak out against to the DC legislative agenda, insurance premiums are projected to increase by nearly 18% in California.
As Young Kim doubles down on cutting health care, raising premiums and undermining protections for those with pre-existing conditions, Rep. Gil Cisneros has come to Congress and championed legislation ensuring thousands of Korean-American immigrant veterans who served for the U.S. are given their full VA health benefits. It’s clear that while Kim parrots Republican talking points, Rep. Cisneros is working for the community and living up to his record of service, delivering for everyday people in Southern California.
PATH TO VICTORY
California’s 39th congressional district is a swing district that supported Hillary Clinton by 9 points and that straddles Orange County, San Bernardino County, and Los Angeles Counties. The district is majority-minority and is 29.1% Asian-American and 27.9% Latino.
Grassroots energy in this suburban, affluent district drove the incumbent Republican Ed Royce to an early retirement and then rejected his appointed successor Young Kim in 2018. Now, Democrats at the grassroots are building off of the work they did in 2018 and have put themselves on course to hold this seat in 2020. Now, Republicans face an uncertain path with a failed career politician, and they must face an electorate that has not only rejected the Trump presidency in 2016, as well as Young Kim’s campaign for Congress less than 16 months ago.
Moreover, Young Kim will continue to struggle to unite the Republican base while also attempting to woo moderate swing voters who will decide this purple district. Young Kim’s history of ethical lapses and her support of the Washington Republican health care repeal plan and the Tax Scam has already proven unpopular in the district and will be rejected again in November.
In Rep. Gil Cisneros, voters have the representation in Congress that works for them and fits the district – a Latino veteran and first-generation college graduate who has dedicated his life to improving opportunities for others and has now brought that same dedication and service to Congress.
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