Democrats since 2020 have dreamed of ousting Republican Rep. Young Kim from her Orange County seat, only to watch their candidates get trounced by near double digits.

But that hasn’t deterred Lisa Ramirez, an immigration attorney, best known for helping free a detained migrant father of three U.S. Marine sons , from jumping into the race for 2026.

The daughter of an immigrant mother, Ramirez cited what she described as the wave of mass detentions, the lack of due process, and President Donald Trump’s disregard for court orders and the rule of law as main reasons for running.

“To me, this race has fundamentally been about protecting our Constitution, our democracy, and ultimately my community,” Ramirez said in an interview with CalMatters before her campaign launch today.

Kim is one

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