Rocklin, California — Robert Sherif, a former science teacher who galvanized voters to support Democratic House candidate Jessica Morse weeks before Election Day, wore a hat he designed that read “Make America Think Again.” I wore it.

The 63-year-old man with a silver mustache, also wearing a shirt that says “Save Democracy, Vote Nonfiction,” has lived in Placer County for more than 20 years. Once a moderate and nonpartisan, Sherif is now a registered Democrat and is fed up with Donald Trump supporters like Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin). .

He thinks the same goes for his conservative neighbors in the Sierra foothills, a blend of old gold country and hip Sacramento suburbs.

“[Kiley] “Mr. Morse has tied himself to many of the MAGA policies, and many Republicans here have been disenfranchised by all of them,” the sheriff said last month in Rocklin, where Morse held a campaign event. We spoke at a Greek restaurant in a strip mall.

Placer County is home to more than half of the voters in California’s 3rd Congressional District, a vast 450-mile stretch of the state that spans the Nevada border from Lake Tahoe to Death Valley. About 39% of the district’s voters are Republicans, but it’s more blue than it was a few years ago, perhaps in part because Migration of residents During the pandemic, from the liberal Bay Area to more affordable inland cities like Rocklin and Roseville.

In 2020, Trump defeated Joe Biden here by just 1.78 percentage points.

Democrats are desperate to flip some of California’s red districts to gain a House majority, but enough Republicans and independent voters have turned their backs on Kiley’s Trumpism. They hope they will vote instead for Morse, a former Pentagon national security expert who has been campaigning. On common issues such as access to abortion.

Morse, 42, of Roseville, is the state’s wildfire recovery specialist and studied international relations at Princeton University before serving in the federal government in Iraq. In 2018, she lost a bid to Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) in another attempt to turn a red district blue.

A Harvard- and Yale-educated lawyer, Kiley grew up in Granite Bay, a wealthy Placer County suburb, and was considered a moderate Republican when he was elected to the California House of Representatives in 2016. . Supports former Ohio Governor John Kasich over Trump as presidential candidate. But he has since marched further to the right, defend the opposition California’s vaccine and mask mandate during the worst of COVID-19.

The 39-year-old freshman congressman has emerged as a relentless critic of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fact that helped support him. Trump announces support for Congress in 2022. While some Republicans have distanced themselves from the controversial presidential candidate, Kiley has aligned herself with Trump on issues such as immigration and gender identity. He shared the stage with top MAGA activists like Charlie Kirk and frequent right-wing media outlets.

“Kevin Kiley represents the next generation of the MAGA movement,” Morse said. “He and J.D. Vance are trying to normalize this, so we have to flip our seats.”

Jessica Morse holds up a “Morse for Congress” sign with supporters near her campaign headquarters in Rocklin, California.

(Mackenzie Mays/Los Angeles Times)

Kiley’s brand is centered around constant change. blog post And his opposition speech in Congress lambasted Democrats and how their policies were hurting California. in News release promoting Morsethe Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Kiley embodies “the worst kind of bipartisan, power-hungry politics.”

However, Kiley said that when campaigning for re-election, he focuses on issues such as crime and the cost of living, and politics “rarely comes up.” He pointed to recent endorsements. Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act Alongside Democrats in Congress, as a proud and bipartisan achievement.

“I understand that it’s tempting to create some sort of partisan angle on everything, and that’s the nature of the current political climate, but that’s not how I approach my job, and frankly… That’s not the kind of feedback I get from voters,” said Kiley, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in the 2021 Newsom recall election.

Just as Morse ties Kylie to Trump and Vance, Kylie ties her to Newsom. Mr. Morse was appointed by Mr. Newsom in 2019 as deputy secretary of forest resources management at the California Natural Resources Agency.

His unrelenting focus on Newsom could pay off. More than 56% of voters in the 3rd District voted for Republican state Sen. Brian Dahl (R-Beaver) over the Democratic incumbent in the 2022 gubernatorial race.

“This region maintains a quality of life that you don’t find in other parts of California. We don’t have the waste, crime, and homelessness levels that you find in places like LA, San Francisco, or even Sacramento,” Kiley said. spoke. TV debate Morse program hosted by KCRA last month. “But things can change if you don’t have the right representation.”

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) is running for governor in Clovis, Calif., in a 2021 recall election against Gov. Gavin Newsom.

(Craig Koolrath/Fresno Bee)

Mr. Kiley and his allies have undermined Democratic attempts to make the district appear competitive in the final weeks before Election Day, saying the support for Mr. Morse is tied to his involvement with Mr. Newsom. He said it was because he believed he could actually flip the district. .

Mr. Newsom’s Democratic Movement PAC recently sent an email to supporters naming Mr. Morse among four candidates who could help Democrats win a House majority, calling it ” It was portrayed as a way to ensure “Trump protection.” But the California Democratic Party has not prioritized or funded her campaign in the way it has done in the most competitive congressional races.

Nonpartisan Cook Political Report classifies several districts in California as competitive, but rates the 3rd District as “likely Republican.”

Mr. Trump has the support of some voters in large districts, including conservative rural counties such as Plumas, Sierra and Inyo. Just in September, the Nevada County Republican Party hosted an event in the Kiley area, Laura LoomerThe far-right activist and Trump ally has even accused the Republican Party of promoting conspiracy theories.

Despite President Trump’s pattern of lies, Sacramento County Republican Party Chair Betsy Mahan praised the presidential candidate as “real” and California voters see him as someone who keeps his promises and challenges the status quo. said.

“I don’t think so. [Kiley] To be honest, I’m not in any danger at all,” Mahan said. “This is just gaslighting by the Democrats.”

However, Kylie doesn’t seem very confident. In a text message sent by his campaign to voters on Wednesday, Kiley said the success of his campaign “depends on getting everyone to vote last week,” adding: “We need all the help we can get.” said.

Asked by the Times if he was worried about his district going Democratic, he said, “Every district in the country, all 435 districts, is competitive.” Ta.

Morse, who lost to Kiley in the primary by more than 13 points, is optimistic.

Jessica Morse speaks to supporters at 4 Heroes Grill in Rocklin, California.

(Mackenzie Mays/Los Angeles Times)

After a debate-watch party at a gyro and kebab shop in Rocklin, a suburb in the heart of her district that is whiter and more conservative than most of California, she said the state and the nation were at a crossroads. I warned him that he was being forced to stand up.

Supporters cheered when she said even the “most wavering” voters could be convinced in the final days before the election.

“We’re going to go look for them. We’re going to get them,” she said. “I’m going to change my seat because the issues we face are real. They’re serious. We can actually shape the future we want and deserve. It is.”