By Rick Mercurio / Alianza

With the primary election less than a year away, six motivated Democrats are maneuvering to gather support from the party faithful — as well as disenchanted Independents and Republicans — all with the aim of challenging Duncan Hunter, the embattled GOP incumbent in the 50th Congressional District.

Hunter’s latest hurdle came in March when the Justice Department announced an investigation into possible campaign violations. That comes on top of earlier allegations into Hunter improperly using thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal use, prompting an investigation by the House Ethics Panel. The investigation was recently turned over to the FBI.

According to a San Diego Union-Tribune article, the ethics report said Hunter “may have converted tens of thousands of dollars of campaign funds … to personal use to pay for family travel, flights, utilities, healthcare, school uniforms and tuition, jewelry, groceries and other goods, services and expenses.”

Other questions have been raised about “unusual spending by Hunter’s campaign, including flying the family rabbit on a plane and payments to nail salons, his children’s private school and a Phoenix resort,” it continued.

In May, a group of citizens from East County banded together to raise funds for an anti-Hunter billboard to be placed near his office in El Cajon. The billboard read, “Shame on Rep. Duncan Hunter for being under criminal investigation.”

But Democrats face an uphill battle in the 50th, which encompasses generally conservative suburban and outlying areas of the county including Fallbrook, San Marcos, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, parts of El Cajon and mountain and desert areas stretching east to the Imperial County line. It extends slightly into southwestern Riverside County in the Temecula area. Republicans claim 60 percent of the registered voters.

As a strong and early supporter of President Trump, Hunter takes traditional right-wing stances on issues. He is fervently anti-abortion, opposes any form of gun safety legislation, favors lowering taxes on the rich, wants to eliminate social security as it now exists, and supports increased privatization and charter school spending by taxpayers.

Hunter voted for TrumpCare — which would wrest health coverage from 23 million Americans (according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office — and approves of gutting environmental programs while increasing military spending. He also echoes Trump’s cries for a border wall with Mexico.

Hunter is now serving his fifth two-year term, having first been elected in 2008 after his father, with the same name, had been a long-time incumbent. Last November, Hunter defeated Democrat Patrick Malloy 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent. Malloy is again throwing his hat into the race. Other Democrats vying in the 2018 primary are Glenn Jensen, Pierre Beauregard, Gloria Chadwick, Josh Butner, and Ammar Campa-Najjar.

In this post, we’ll feature the first three, and next Wednesday (August 2), the other three candidates.

Glenn Jensen

Age: 61 years old.
Occupation: Business Professional—Department of Defence Sales, Activist.
Residence: Has lived in El Cajon nearly all his life.
Education: Bachelors in Economics, UCSD.
Family: Married 39 years with one son and one daughter.

Why are you running for Congress?

Hunter has failed the people of the district while enriching himself and his cronies. I can do better by introducing legislation that benefits our district. It’s time to end this corruption – I cannot be bought.

What are your two most important domestic issues/priorities?

National Security and fiscal responsibility (accountability). All of the major issues (Healthcare, Education, our infrastructure, immigration reform, labor protections) include National Security and accountability to be successful.

What are your two most important foreign policy issues/priorities?

Climate Change and Cyber Security – we must change how we secure and exploit energy. We must protect our infrastructure and financial systems from Cyber terrorism (domestic and foreign agents). Both ultimately affect our national security and have significant budgetary implications.

What is the most serious threat currently facing the US?

Climate Change impacts our quality of life and negatively impacts our national security.

… vouchers simply establish a price floor and don’t enhance access or affordability.

What is your position on taxpayer dollars for vouchers/private/religious schools?

I am strongly opposed to vouchers for any service; vouchers simply establish a price floor and don’t enhance access or affordability.

What is your plan to defeat incumbent Hunter?

My campaign will focus on expanding the Democratic tent to include, understand and educate the well-intentioned moderate Republicans. Targeted mailers, participating in business working groups, and listening/interacting to promote our value with the moderate Republicans and Independents will be necessary for success. We must also get out the vote for new high school graduates – younger voters can make the difference.

Why should Democrats vote for you in the primary?

I am the everyday guy – a pro-national defense, proven successful business professional, demonstrated ability in understanding complex issues, and I best fit the demographics of the district.

***

Pierre “Pete” Beauregard

Age: 68 years old.
Occupation: Assembly District Delegate, Activist, Retired: substitute teacher, cardiac pharmaceutical specialist, physician assistant (uncertified).
Residence: Has lived in Ramona for 10 years.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Biology, California Baptist University, Riverside.
Family: Son, Chase (Texas construction executive), daughter Emily (graduated CSUSM)

Why are you running for Congress?

When I returned home from Vietnam, my best friend and 58,315 other Americans didn’t. I realized my life was a gift and I made a choice to carry on with a sense of gratitude and purpose to change the world we live in and take care of the planet we live on. During the Hunter Dynasty, District 50 has had no real representation, their voices silenced and their will ignored.

What are your two most important domestic issues/priorities?

A. Reducing money in politics. Our political system is morally bankrupt right alongside the politicians on corporate payrolls. From our healthcare systems all the way to the wars we’ve sent our military to there’s barely a piece of domestic policy not created by corporations for the sake of profit.

B. I believe that healthcare is an essential human right — Medicare for all. While stationed at Marine Corps Base, El Toro, I was determined to do something positive. With that, I worked with a few like minded individuals to create a free clinic in Huntington Beach. I worked as a physician’s assistant and provided healthcare to families and people on the street. We were very active in providing birth control services in the early 1970s. The clinic became a large success and still provides services today.

What are your two most important foreign policy issues/priorities?

A. Our Department of Defense has declared that Climate Change is the number one threat to our country and I agree. Mother Nature has drawn a line in the sand and we have crossed it! It is my number one foreign policy issue because time is running out.

B. The rest of the world sees the United States as the greatest threat to world peace. I have worked with the Peace Alliance as a Congressional District lobbyist to Congress for several years in Washington, D.C. Our support for oppressive regime change and contrived wars is financially and morally bankrupting our country. We have been known to declare Peace through military strength. I believe our greatest strength is Peace.

During the Hunter Dynasty, District 50 has had no real representation, their voices silenced and their will ignored.

What is the most serious threat currently facing the US?

The Republican agenda in the hands of Donald Trump.

What is your position on taxpayer dollars for vouchers/private/religious schools?

Public education is the cornerstone of our working class. Vouchers and other schemes take resources away from a beleaguered education system under attack for decades by Republican ideology. Privatizing everything in government intended for our common welfare, like a good education, has contributed to the greatest income inequality since the 1920s.

What is your plan to defeat incumbent Hunter?

Hunter and Trump offer a “Wall and Muslim Ban” to improve security. I am for improving our relationship with Mexico and stop the creation of the refugee crisis. Trump and Hunter Jr. offer tax breaks to the wealthiest. I am for tax reform that offers economic justice. My plan is to get this
message heard to excite, get registered and GOTV with Democratic base voters as well as NPP voters.

Why should Democrats vote for you in the primary?

If the last election taught us anything, Americans are hungry for change. As the only progressive candidate in District 50, I am the clear choice for newly energized voters. All I have to do is get my message out.

***

Gloria A. Chadwick

Age: 71 years old.
Occupation: Registered Nurse and current Director of Grossmont Healthcare District (elected 5 times, area of 500,000 voters).
Residence: East El Cajon since 1965.
Family: Married, 2 children.

Why are you running for Congress?

The good residents of the 50th District need a Representative who respects them, their District and can bring positive improvements to the District and not headline embarrassment. I seek the office as service to my Country as the 2-year position was intended, not as a career.

What are your two most important domestic issues/priorities?

Healthcare and the environment. One cannot survive without the other. You cannot drink polluted water or breathe polluted air and expect to live without a medical disease. Money cannot buy you good health. Good paying jobs cannot be worked if you’re too sick to get there.

What are your two most important foreign policy issues/priorities?

Number one: North Korea; and number two: the technological, undermining propaganda being implemented throughout the world to alter democracies. We are not in a vacuum and current times dictate a new role in technology to protect all world citizens from decisions based outside their geographic sphere.

What is the most serious threat currently facing the US?

Unfortunately, it is our very own Congress with its inability to rise above the party chants and do what’s right for the Country. Too many people are in Congress as a lifetime job and not to serve their Country as the founding fathers envisioned. Campaign finance reform is needed.

I am a good and solid Democrat. I even own a donkey!

What is your position on taxpayer dollars for vouchers/private/religious schools?

My family is a product of the public school system which I support completely. It is a system that countries have marveled at, adopted or sent their children to the U.S. to study. But with all establishments, changes, even amendments, are essential for growth. However, separation of State and the church must remain.

What is your plan to defeat incumbent Hunter?

I have worked hard in my East County community and I need to meet those in the North County area. I will walk neighborhoods and I paint. So please stop and tell me what your concerns are and what I can do for you while I am in your area painting.

Why should Democrats vote for you in the primary?

I am a good and solid Democrat. I even own a donkey! You need to bring caring respectability back into our District along with jobs, safety, healthcare respect for owners’ rights and concerns. We need to grow with the times while knowing how much we have gained and never fall back.