California Gallery Founder Esther Kim Varet Falls Short in Congressional Primary
Esther Kim Varet, the founder of Various Small Fires, finished third in California’s 40th Congressional District primary, ending her bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. With 16.6 percent of the vote and about 194,900 ballots counted, she trailed Republican incumbents Ken Calvert, who led with 35 percent, and Young Kim, who held 20.9 percent. Under California’s non-partisan primary system, only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
The result underscores how the state’s “jungle primary” can narrow the field before the broader campaign even begins. It also reflects the effects of California’s recent redistricting, approved by voters last November, which reshaped congressional boundaries after a wave of unusual mid-decade map changes in Republican-controlled states. Calvert shifted from the 41st to the 40th district, a seat drawn to consolidate Republican votes in a state that otherwise leans heavily Democratic.
Kim Varet, whose gallery roster includes Jessie Homer French, Kyungmi Shin, and Mark Yang, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In January, she said she was running because “our community and values are clearly under attack. I cannot sit idly by any longer and wait for protections that will not come. It’s time to fight against the forces that wish to take us back to the dark ages.” In recent days, she also criticized the Democratic Party for failing to clear the field, arguing that the party should have made room for her to face the two leading Republicans.
Her campaign was notable for its fundraising strength. From January 2025 through mid-May 2026, Kim Varet raised $2.86 million, with support from artists including Marilyn Minter, Zoe Buckman, and Todd Gray, as well as dealers Jessica Silverman, Nicola Vassell, and Gordon VeneKlasen. Over the same period, Calvert raised about $3.54 million, while Young Kim brought in $5.15 million.
The campaign also intersected with the gallery’s own geography. Various Small Fires opened in 2012 in Los Angeles County, expanded to Seoul in 2019 and Dallas in 2022, and last year moved to Tustin in Orange County, then part of the 40th district. Its most recent exhibition there, by Sarah Zapata, closed in December.
Kim Varet’s run did not produce an upset, but it did place a contemporary art dealer inside one of California’s most closely watched electoral structures — and showed how quickly redistricting, fundraising, and party mechanics can determine who gets a second round.
