It’s a contest of five in the race for California’s 49th congressional district, featuring a three-term incumbent Democrat and four Republican challengers.
Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, has represented the coastal district in San Diego and Orange counties since 2019.
Also jockeying for the seat are: Sheryl Adams, an automotive technology executive; Matt Gunderson, a small business owner; Kate Monroe, a businesswoman; and Margarita Wilksonson, a businesswoman.
And running for CA-49 isn’t the only similarity among the five contenders.
The candidates agree that more resources and funding should be allocated to the southern border. Since October, more than 961,000 people have been apprehended by U.S. immigration officials at the southern border, an issue permeating this election cycle.
Wilkinson, from Rancho Sante Fe, grew up near the U.S.-Mexico border. She said problems she saw on the local news then — gang violence, drugs and crime — still exist. Her solution is to give more funding, equipment and other resources to border patrol agents, an effort to “stop the flow of criminals and fentanyl” from crossing the border.
Levin, too, wants to see more resources for U.S. Customs and Border Protection so officials can secure the border and “ensure the orderly processing of asylum seekers,” he said. He touted his support for what was called the Dignity Act, legislation in Congress that provided for the hiring of additional border patrol personnel, funding for border infrastructure and resuming of barrier construction along the southern border as well as a pathway for permanent resident status to those who met certain eligibility requirements.
But Monroe, a Marine veteran, says commencing “mass deportations” is part of her five-part plan for the border. She also wants to see a wall built along the southern border and life without parole sentences for fentanyl traffickers.
The Republican candidates expressed concerns about fentanyl being brought into the U.S. through the southern border.
“With more lives lost each day due to the fentanyl crisis, the border should be the top priority in Congress,” said Gunderson, a Ladera Ranch resident. “It’s time for action, not just words. We must confront this crisis collectively to protect our nation’s safety from human traffickers, terrorists and drug smugglers.”
“We must make sure that we fully fund federal law enforcement so they have all the resources they need to stop the drugs and criminals enabled by current policies,” said Adams, from Del Mar.
From desalinating seawater to fostering technology innovation, the quintet had various ideas for environmental policies they’d champion.
Levin, a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, wants to continue to work on the safe removal of nuclear fuel from the region. “Keeping spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is not an option,” Levin said, “and one method for removal is through the consent-based siting of a national storage facility.”
And while she’s opposed to EV mandates, Adams says she wants to see more American innovation in that realm.
“In Congress, I would work to limit stifling regulations to enable and improve opportunities for American innovation,” said Adams. “By allowing companies to innovate and create new technology, we can develop affordable products such as EVs that can lower emissions.”
Both Gunderson and Wilkinson say they would work to protect California’s beaches and coastlines if elected to Congress, and Monroe wants to see desalination of seawater to freshwater, also a way to combat water shortages during drought conditions, she said.
“Specifically, I propose converting unused offshore oil rigs to floating mobile desalination plants offshore to produce clean, fresh water and send it wherever it’s needed most,” said Monroe, a San Diego resident.
The state of the race
The 49th congressional district spans the coast along Orange and San Diego counties, and includes Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Del Mar.
Voter registration as of Jan. 5, according to state data, is 36.7% Democrats, 33.4% Republicans and 22.2% no party preference.
In the 2022 general election, Levin beat Republican challenger Brian Maryott by just more than 15,000 votes.
The Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections, has labeled the district as “likely Democrat,” which means it’s not considered to be a competitive race at this time, but that could change. Without a Democratic challenger, it’s likely Levin will advance past the primary along with one of the Republican contenders.
Primary ballots have already been sent to registered voters across the state. Ballot drop boxes have opened, and voting centers will open on Feb. 24.
Source: Orange County Register
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