CD49

Mike Levin (D)

President '12
Mitt Romney (R) 153,856 52.25%
Barack Obama* (D-Inc) 134,447 45.66%
President '16
Hillary Clinton (D) 159,081 50.66%
Donald J. Trump (R) 135,576 43.18%
President '20
Joe Biden (D) 217,061 55.23%
Donald Trump* (R-Inc) 167,049 42.50%
US House '12
Darrell Issa* (R-Inc) 159,725 58.16%
Jerry Tetalman (D) 114,893 41.84%
US House '14
Darrell Issa* (R-Inc) 98,161 60.17%
Dave Peiser (D) 64,981 39.83%
US House '16
Darrell Issa* (R-Inc) 155,888 50.26%
Doug Applegate (D) 154,267 49.74%
US House '18
Mike Levin (D) 166,453 56.42%
Diane L. Harkey (R) 128,577 43.58%
US House '20
Mike Levin* (D-Inc) 205,349 53.13%
Brian L. Maryott (R) 181,157 46.87%
Governor '14
Neel Kashkari (R) 91,540 54.96%
Edmund G. Brown (D) 75,032 45.04%
Governor '18
Gavin Newsom (D) 153,703 51.49%
John H. Cox (R) 144,801 48.51%
Prop 6 '18 (Gas Tax)
Yes 157,028 53.81%
No 134,799 46.19%
Prop 15 '20 (Split Roll)
No 237,740 61.39%
Yes 149,512 38.61%

Map

Location

Two-county coastal district with 29% of the voters located in the Orange County portion, the largest cities being Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, and 71% in the San Diego County portion, stretching from Camp Pendleton in the north to Del Mar to the south. The largest cities are Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista and Encinitas.

Overlaps

Orange County (25.25%) San Diego County (74.75%)

AD73 (25.25%) AD75 (1.78%) AD76 (63.13%) AD77 (4.29%) AD78 (5.56%)

SD36 (89.68%) SD38 (4.24%) SD39 (6.09%)

CD49 (100.00%)

BOE4 (100.00%)

Registration

View Registration History Report

REGISTRATION REPORT DATE: February 20, 2024
TOTAL VOTERS: 471,592

D +2.92%

DEM: 36.53% (172,262)  -- REP: 33.61% (158,501)  -- NPP: 22.02% (103,861) -- OTH: 0.41% (1,922)


     Ethnic voter registration: Latino 13.36%, Asian: 4.51%
     Permanent vote-by-mail voters: 67.94%


Mike Levin (D)

Born: 1978-10-20

Term 0

MIKE LEVIN (D) (b.10/20/78), at the time of his election to congress in 2018, was a director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, director and co-founder of Sustain OC, and director of government affairs at FuelCell Energy, a fuel cell company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services fuel cell power plants for distributed power generation. Prior to his involvement in the clean energy industry, he served as an attorney at Bryan Cave LLP, focusing on environmental and energy regulatory compliance, project development, and government advocacy. He served on the California Hydrogen Business Council Board of Directors, and previously served on the National Finance Committee for the Hillary for America 2016 Presidential campaign. A native of Lake Forest and a CORO Fellow, he holds a bachelor's in political science from Stanford, where he served as student body president, and a JD from Duke University. He resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their 2 young children.

Organization Year Score
ACLU 2022 100%
AFL/CIO 2019 100%
AFL/CIO (Lifetime) 2019 100%
Alliance for Retired Americans 2021 100%
Alliance for Retired Americans (Lifetime) 2021 100%
American Conservative Union 2020 4%
American Conservative Union (Lifetime) 2020 3.51%
American Federation of Govt Employees 2019 100%
Americans for Prosperity 2022 11%
Americans for Prosperity (Lifetime) 2022 8%
California Pro-Life Council 2021 0%
Campaign for Working Families 2019 0%
Citizens Against Government Waste 2020 0%
Club For Growth 2020 0%
Club For Growth (Lifetime) 2020 6%
FreedomWorks 2022 0%
Gun Owners of America 2018 F-%
Gun Owners of America 2021 8%
Heritage Action 2022 0%
Heritage Action (Lifetime) 2022 0%
Human Rights Campaign 2020 100%
Humane Society 2021 100%
League of Conservation Voters 2021 100%
League of Conservation Voters (Lifetime) 2021 99%
NARAL Pro-Choice 2020 100%
National Assn of Police Organizations 2021 40%
National Education Assn 2021 100%
National Federation of Independent business 2022 17.0%
National Federation of Independent Business 2020 20%
National Retail Federation 2022 45%
National Rifle Association 2022 0%
National Right to Life Committee 2022 0%
National Taxpayers Union 2021 6%
NORML 2022 92%
NumbersUSA 2022 0%
NumbersUSA (Lifetime) 2022 0%
Planned Parenthood 2018 n/a%
Progressive Punch 2022 96%
Progressive Punch (Lifetime) 2022 97%
US Chamber of Commerce 2020 62%
US Chamber of Commerce (Lifetime) 2020 62%

REGISTRATION REPORT DATE: February 20, 2024
TOTAL VOTERS: 471,592

D +2.92%

DEM: 36.53% (172,262)  -- REP: 33.61% (158,501)  -- NPP: 22.02% (103,861) -- OTH: 0.41% (1,922)

Past Registration/Turnout

p12: R +14.16% DEM: 101,148 (28.62%) REP: 151,155 (42.78%) NPP: 83,211 (23.55%) TOTAL - 353,365 - TURNOUT: 34.96%
g12: R +13.16% DEM: 106,846 (28.65%) REP: 155,945 (41.81%) NPP: 90,752 (24.33%) TOTAL - 372,964 - TURNOUT: 76.84%
p14: R +11.65% DEM: 104,508 (28.89%) REP: 146,645 (40.54%) NPP: 91,036 (25.16%) TOTAL - 361,759 - TURNOUT: 26.59%
g14: R +11.40% DEM: 103,955 (28.82%) REP: 145,042 (40.22%) NPP: 91,830 (25.46%) TOTAL - 360,644 - TURNOUT: 46.71%
p16: R +9.15% DEM: 108,714 (30.67%) REP: 141,159 (39.82%) NPP: 86,699 (24.46%) TOTAL - 354,453 - TURNOUT: 50.90%
g16: R +6.60% DEM: 120,775 (31.19%) REP: 146,338 (37.79%) NPP: 99,853 (25.79%) TOTAL - 387,229 - TURNOUT: 83.12%
p18: R +5.19% DEM: 121,561 (31.16%) REP: 141,786 (36.35%) NPP: 105,111 (26.95%) TOTAL - 390,064 - TURNOUT: 47.73%
g18: R +3.87% DEM: 125,736 (31.02%) REP: 141,415 (34.89%) NPP: 115,931 (28.60%) TOTAL - 405,372 - TURNOUT: 72.82%
p20: R +0.73% DEM: 141,861 (33.63%) REP: 144,911 (34.36%) NPP: 109,224 (25.90%) TOTAL - 421,770 - TURNOUT: 53.26%
g20: D +1.27% DEM: 159,907 (35.22%) REP: 154,137 (33.95%) NPP: 112,154 (24.70%) TOTAL - 453,684 - TURNOUT: 88.21%

Census Data (2019 ACS 5-Year Estimate)

Population & Ethnic Statistics


Household Income


Housing


Education


Poverty Level


District Profile

About a quarter of the voters are located in the Orange County portion of the district around the communities of Dana Point and San Clemente, which are located halfway between the downtowns of Los Angeles and San Diego.  Republicans outnumber Democrats two to one here. 

The majority of the voters are in northern San Diego, where Republicans account for nearly 60% of the voters.  Overall, Republicans outnumber Democrats by double digits, but Obama was able to win here by 1 point in his California landslide in 2008.  Jerry Brown lost the district by 18 points in 2010 and 10 points in 2014.  Voters along the coast are economically conservative; they tend to be moderate on social and environmental issues, but it’s the economic issues that are at the top of these voters’ minds.  

The northern portion of the district includes Camp Pendleton, situated along what otherwise would be prime California beachfront real estate.  Many locals will tell you the Marine Corps base is the only buffer that prevents the Los Angeles and San Diego Metro areas from merging.  

Assembly Districts

AD73, AD75, AD76, AD77, AD78

ZIP Codes

92003, 92007, 92008, 92009, 92010, 92011, 92014, 92024, 92028, 92029, 92037, 92054, 92055, 92056, 92057, 92058, 92067, 92075, 92078, 92081, 92083, 92084, 92091, 92121, 92127, 92130, 92624, 92629, 92651, 92672, 92673, 92675, 92677, 92679, 92688, 92691, 92692, 92694

Campaign 2022

Analysis

New district lines are expected in late 2021/early 2022. Under the existing lines, this is a competitive district that has swung towards Democrats in recent years, Mike Levin putting the seat in the blue column following Darrell Issa's decision not to seek re-election here in 2018. Republican San Juan Capistrano councilman Brian Maryott first ran here in 2018, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to finish with 3% in the primary, then made a second attempt in 2020, keeping the race to within six points despite receiving no help from national GOP groups. Maryott has filed for a third attempt, but the NRCC recruited 36-year old businessman, Marine veteran, and Oceanside city councilmember Chris Rodriguez to run. One other Republican, MAGA influencer Anne Elizabeth Fundner, has also filed.

 


Democratic Party Pre-Endorsement Conference Endorsement (Primary): Levin, Mike
Democratic Party Primary Endorsement: Levin, Mike
Republican Party Primary Endorsement: Maryott, Brian

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
LEVIN, MIKE DEM 1,502,261 5,128,709 6,196,368 434,603 5,000 0 11/28/2022 295,652 C00634253
SMALLEY, NADIA BAHIA DEM 0 0 0 0 0 0
BARTLETT, LISA REP 0 571,420 566,408 5,012 167,188 62,500 11/28/2022 0 C00799312
ELIZABETH, ANNE REP 0 9,901 9,876 0 0 250 09/30/2022 0 C00789289
MARYOTT, BRIAN L MR REP 11,794 5,563,293 5,560,850 14,237 3,019,701 2,905,000 11/28/2022 0 C00666859
ONEIL, JOSIAH REP 0 156,877 156,877 0 0 0 08/23/2022 0 C00801191
RODRIGUEZ, CHRISTOPHER REP 0 1,241,859 1,240,172 1,687 125,300 125,300 09/30/2022 0 C00779769
TAYLOR, RENEE REP 0 4,777 4,772 0 0 0 12/31/2022 0 C00808030

Candidates

FEC STATEMENTS OF CANDIDACY

CANDIDATE PARTY FEC CAND ID FEC CMTE ID DATE FILED
LEVIN, MIKE DEM H8CA49058 C00634253 2020-11-16
BARTLETT, LISA REP H2CA49267 C00799312 2022-01-04
ELIZABETH, ANNE REP H2CA49259 C00789289 2021-09-13
MARYOTT, BRIAN L MR REP H8CA49108 C00666859 2020-11-20
ONEIL, JOSIAH REP H2CA49275 C00801191 2022-01-16
RODRIGUEZ, CHRISTOPHER REP H2CA49242 C00779769 2021-05-17
TAYLOR, RENEE REP H2CA49317 C00808030 2022-03-08
Mike Levin (D)

MIKE LEVIN (D) (b.10/20/78), at the time of his election to congress in 2018, was a director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, director and co-founder of Sustain OC, and director of government affairs at FuelCell Energy, a fuel cell company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services fuel cell power plants for distributed power generation. Prior to his involvement in the clean energy industry, he served as an attorney at Bryan Cave LLP, focusing on environmental and energy regulatory compliance, project development, and government advocacy. He served on the California Hydrogen Business Council Board of Directors, and previously served on the National Finance Committee for the Hillary for America 2016 Presidential campaign. A native of Lake Forest and a CORO Fellow, he holds a bachelor's in political science from Stanford, where he served as student body president, and a JD from Duke University. He resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their 2 young children.

Christopher Rodriguez (R)

CHRISTOPHER R RODRIGUEZ (R) (b. 11/84) was elected to represent Oceanside's 2nd city council district in 2018. He ran unsuccessfully for Oceanside Mayor in 2020, finishing 2nd in a 12-candidate field with 18.5% of the vote. Born in Chicago, Rodriguez' mother escaped their abusive gang member father, re-marrying to a Marine. After graduating early from high school, Rodriguez enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 2002 at the age of 17 and was stationed in California at Camp Pendleton. He served two combat tours in Iraq, earning a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat when an RPG attack in Fallujah cost him his hearing in his left ear. After being honorably discharged, he started a mortgage and real estate company and is currently president and CEO of Maximum Real Estate Services. He and his wife, Sarah, reside on a farm in the South Morro Hills with his seven children, who range in age from toddler to twenties.

Anne Elizabeth (R)

ANNE ELIZABETH HAGAN FUNDNER (R) (b.7/22/72) is a MAGA influencer who hosts the 'Conservative Commandos' podcast. She resides in Dana Point with her husband, Eric Fundner, VP of consumer direct lending at Pivot Lending Group.

Lisa Barlett (R)

LISA BARTLETT (R) was first elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2014, defeating Laguna Niguel Councilman Robert Ming for the open seat created when Pat Bates was termed out (Bates successfully ran for SD36 that year). At the time of her election, Bartlett was serving as Mayor of Dana Point. She first won election to the Dana Point City Council in 2006, winning re-election in 2010. She is the principal at Blue Water Realty & Investments, a firm handling residential and income property sales and investments. She has served on the Transportation Corridor Agency-Foothill Eastern Board, as a member of Southern California Edison's Government Avdisory and Community Engagement Panels, previously served as President for the Association of California Cities, and was a Regional Council Member for the Southern California Association of Governments. She earned her bachelor's in Finance from CSU-Fullerton and her MBA from Pepperdine. She resides in Dana Point.

Brian Maryott (R)

BRIAN MARYOTT (R), 55, is a retired financial service executive and first-term councilman for San Juan Capistrano, first winning election to the 5th Council District in 2016. Prior to his retirement this year, he was a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors. Raised in Massachusetts, he graduated from American International College in Western Massachusetts and worked for the Massachusetts House of Representatives for several years, serving as a Legislative Aide and Staff Director. Maryott previously mounted an unsuccessful run for this seat in the 2018 primary, spending $750,000, including $700,000 loaned to his own campaign, and finishing 8th of 16 with 3.02% at a cost of around $136 per vote. He is running on a platform focused on sound fiscal stewardship.

2022 CANDIDATES W/NO FPPC/FEC ID YET

Nadia Smalley (D) - CD49

NADIA SMALLEY (D) is a home health care nurse who has filed FEC paperwork to run for US Senate, President of the United States of America, and congress.

Campaign Ads

Warped Priorities ( - Levin)
ie ad From Congressional Leadership Fund

Levin Delivers ( - Levin)
campaign ad From Brian Maryott

Together ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Basic Rights ( - Maryott)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Money ( - Maryott)
ie ad From House Majority PAC

Settled Matter ( - Maryott)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

People Before Politics ( + Maryott)
campaign ad From Brian Maryott

Campaign 2020

Election Results

March Top-Two Primary
Mike Levin D 125,639 56.58%
Brian Maryott R 96,424 43.42%
November General Election
Mike Levin D 205,349 53.13%
Brian Maryott R 181,157 46.87%

Analysis

This once safely-Republican district has galloped away from the GOP as San Diego County’s demographics have shifted blue, finally tipping over to a Democratic registration advantage after the primary.

After firebrand conservative Darrell Issa’s narrow win in the 2016 election, he announced his retirement in 2018. The DCCC intervened in that year’s primary to avert a same-party GOP runoff, spending seven figures attacking moderate Republican Rocky Chavez and declining to lay a glove on Board of Equalization member Diane Harkey, who was endorsed by Issa and a large chunk of the Orange County GOP establishment despite her considerable baggage. After Harkey and Democrat Mike Levin advanced, the GOP abandoned the seat, leaving Harkey to wage a disastrous campaign (see online edition for details) that culminated in a brutal 56.4%/43.6% shellacking in November.

In the 2018 primary, San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott spent $750,000, including $700,000 out of his own pocket, which yielded him 3% of the vote and an eighth-place finish. This time around, he was the only candidate on the primary ballot. Maryott raised $1.3 million ahead of the primary, including $200,000 in candidate loans and another $255,500 in direct contributions, burning through everything but $77,034 by the end of March. Levin’s campaign raised $2.45 million and ended March with just under $1.5 million on hand.

Of the six remaining first-term Democrats who flipped a red seat in 2018, Levin was the only one to see his vote share in the primary improve since the 2018 general election, outpolling Maryott 56.6%/43.4% in the primary.

The race remained off the radar, although Maryott raised and spent around $3 million (including $600,000 in candidate loans). Outside spending was nonexistent apart from $4,672 in pro-Levin mailers from Planned Parenthood.

Levin ended up winning, although his roughly six point margin of 53.1%/46.9% stood in stark contrast to Biden’s nearly 13-point 55.2%/42.5% win, and suggests that Republicans can still potentially compete here under different circumstances.

Maryott has filed to run again in 2022.


Democratic Party Pre-Endorsement Conference Endorsement (Primary): Levin, Mike
Democratic Party Primary Endorsement: Levin, Mike
Republican Party Primary Endorsement: Maryott, Brian

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
LEVIN, MIKE DEM 558,059 3,805,101 2,800,423 1,562,738 5,000 0 11/23/2020 563,751 C00634253
FORTIN, MARA REP 0 54,828 54,828 0 34,858 34,858 08/01/2019 0 C00708511
KNOBLOCK, STEVEN CRAIG REP 0 0 0 0 0 0 06/30/2019 0 C00699009
MARYOTT, BRIAN L MR REP 9,758 3,026,234 3,005,705 30,287 474,517 607,700 11/23/2020 864,050 C00666859

Candidate Filing Status

NAME PARTY SIL ISSUE SIL FILE NOM ISSUE NOM FILE COUNTY
Mike Levin D 2019-11-12 2019-11-25 ORANGE
Nadia Smalley D 2019-09-12 SAN DIEGO
Brian Maryott R 2019-11-14 2019-11-19 ORANGE

Primary Election - March 3, 2020

CANDIDATE NAME PARTY BALLOT DESCRIPTION
Mike Levin D U.S. Representative, 49th District
Brian Maryott R Mayor/Financial Planner

November 3rd General Election Results

CD49

453,997 Registered Voters (2020-10-19)
D: 159,907 (35.22%) | R: 154,137 (33.95%) | NPP: 112,154 (24.70%)

D +1.27%

487 of 487 precincts in (0 added)

386,506 votes cast (300 added)
85.13% Voter Turnout

NAME PARTY VOTES Δ % Rank Last Votes Behind
Mike Levin
U.S. Representative, 49th District
DEM 205,349 +170 53.13% 1 1
Brian Maryott
Mayor/Financial Planner
REP 181,157 +130 46.87% 2 2 -24,192

Candidates

Mike Levin (D)

MIKE LEVIN (D) (b.10/20/78), at the time of his election to congress in 2018, was a director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, director and co-founder of Sustain OC, and director of government affairs at FuelCell Energy, a fuel cell company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services fuel cell power plants for distributed power generation. Prior to his involvement in the clean energy industry, he served as an attorney at Bryan Cave LLP, focusing on environmental and energy regulatory compliance, project development, and government advocacy. He served on the California Hydrogen Business Council Board of Directors, and previously served on the National Finance Committee for the Hillary for America 2016 Presidential campaign. A native of Lake Forest and a CORO Fellow, he holds a bachelor's in political science from Stanford, where he served as student body president, and a JD from Duke University. He resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their 2 young children.

Brian Maryott (R)

BRIAN MARYOTT (R), 55, is a retired financial service executive and first-term councilman for San Juan Capistrano, first winning election to the 5th Council District in 2016. Prior to his retirement this year, he was a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors. Raised in Massachusetts, he graduated from American International College in Western Massachusetts and worked for the Massachusetts House of Representatives for several years, serving as a Legislative Aide and Staff Director. Maryott previously mounted an unsuccessful run for this seat in the 2018 primary, spending $750,000, including $700,000 loaned to his own campaign, and finishing 8th of 16 with 3.02% at a cost of around $136 per vote. He is running on a platform focused on sound fiscal stewardship.

Campaign 2018

Election Results

June Top-Two Primary
Diane Harkey R 46,468 25.52%
Mike Levin D 31,850 17.49%
Sara Jacobs D 28,778 15.80%
Doug Applegate D 23,850 13.10%
Kristin Gaspar R 15,467 8.49%
Rocky Chavez R 13,739 7.55%
Paul Kerr D 8,099 4.45%
Brian Maryott R 5,496 3.02%
Michael D Schmitt R 2,379 1.31%
Joshua Schoonover R 1,362 0.75%
Craig Nordal R 1,156 0.63%
David Medway R 1,066 0.59%
Robert Pendleton NPP 905 0.50%
Danielle St. John Grn 690 0.38%
Joshua Hancock Lib 552 0.30%
Jordan Mills PAF 233 0.13%
November General Election
Mike Levin D 166,453 56.42%
Diane Harkey R 128,577 43.58%

Analysis

When the lines were drawn, the 49th Congressional district had a GOP voter registration advantage of over fourteen points. Over time, that advantage has collapsed to just 3.76% and masks a moderate streak that has become difficult to reconcile with the Trump-oriented strain of Republicanism that is on the ascent. Of the 7 CA Republican-held districts that voted for Hillary Clinton, it was the only one to vote in favor of supporting the plastic bag ban in 2016, and the only one to vote in favor of the Citizens United advisory measure. Until this year, Hillary Clinton was the sole Democrat to have ever carried a state or district-wide race.

Just days after CA39 Rep Ed Royce's January announcement that he would retire at the end of the term, incumbent Republican Darrell Issa announced that he would not seek re-election to his seat. Issa's departure marked the second open California House seat in the 2018 cycle. Issa, first elected to the House in 2000, narrowly survived a bruising 2016 election against retired Marine Colonel Doug Applegate, eking out a narrow 1,621 vote victory in the closest House race that year. Issa spent $6.3 million in 2016, but had almost no outside help. Applegate reported spending $1.6 million, and received an additional $3.6 million of assistance from the DCCC, House Majority PAC, and other groups. In September 2018, President Trump nominated Issa to be Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency, and in December, Issa re-activated a federal 'Issa for Senate' account that had been dormant since the early 2000s, transferring the $645,000 balance in his congressional account.

Shortly after Issa’s announcement, Board of Equalization member Diane Harkey jumped into the race, followed soon by Assemblyman Rocky Chavez and first-term San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar. With Democrats no longer having the luxury of running against Issa, the abundance of candidates became an issue, and a concerted effort to winnow the field began. Democrat Christine Prejean dropped out before the end of the filing period, and Applegate made an abrupt change in his residency in February, which would have positioned him to run for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. His residency change came too late, however, and Applegate had no recourse but to remain in the race here.

Once the nomination period closed, the ballot was set with 16 candidates—four Democrats, eight Republicans, a Libertarian, a Green Party candidate, a Peace and Freedom candidate, and a No Party Preference candidate. All four Democrats had consistently reported solid fundraising numbers, prompting fears that the absence of a clear front-runner could produce a same-party Republican runoff in November. Most polling showed a tight field with Chavez and Harkey in close contention for the number one spot. In mid-May, the DCCC reserved its first batch of air time on ads opposing Chavez, while holding their fire on the more baggage-laden Harkey. Close to $6 million in outside spending came into play in the primary, with the EMILY's List-affiliated Women Vote! the biggest single spender, deploying over $2.3 million on ads supporting Democrat Sara Jacobs. The group's support followed a series of sizable contributions from Jacob's grandfather, billionaire philanthropist Irwin Jacobs. Outside of their spending, the biggest story was the $1.9 million in ads savaging Republican Rocky Chavez. The DCCC, Priorities USA, and the House Majority PAC unleashed volley after volley on Chavez shamelessly attacking him from the right for crossing the aisle to vote with Democrats on several key issues during his time in the legislature.

Republican Diane Harkey, who raised $474,278 and had been endorsed by Darrell Issa, was the top vote-getter in the primary, winning 25.52%. Harkey's win was the preferred outcome for the district's Republican voters, and likely for Democratic voters, as well. The second spot in the runoff went to Democrat Mike Levin, a clean energy advocate who raised $1.7 million going into the primary and finished with 17.49%. Democrat Sara Jacobs, who contributed over $2 million to her own campaign, came in 3rd with 15.8%. Fourth place went to 2016 Democratic candidate Doug Applegate, who raised $914,990 and received 13.1%. Fifth place went to Republican Kristin Gaspar, a San Diego County Supervisor who raised $356,355 and finished with 8.5%. Pummeled by Democratic attacks, Rocky Chavez finished 6th with 7.54%. Democrat Paul Kerr, a businessman who raised over $5.9 million, $5.1 million of which came from his own pocket, finished 7th with 4.45% (at a cost of around $729 per vote). Republican Brian Maryott, Mayor Pro Tem of San Juan Capistrano, raised $745,000, including $700,000 loaned to his own campaign, and finished 8th with 3.02%. Republican Mike Schmitt, a neuroaudiologist and small businessman, finished 9th with 1.31%. Republican Joshua Schoonover, a patent attorney, finished 10th with 0.75%. Republican Craig Nordal, a real estate businessman, finished 11th with 0.63%. Republican David Medway, a physician/business owner, finished 12th with 0.59%. No Party Preference candidate Robert Pendleton, a surgeon/businessman, finished 13th with 0.5%. Green Party candidate Danielle St. John, a human rights advocate, finished 14th with 0.38%. Libertarian Joshua Hancock finished 15th with 0.3%, and Peace and Freedom candidate Jordan Mills finished 16th with 0.13%.

Democratic candidates collectively received 50.84% in the primary, while Republicans received 47.86%. Republicans were quick to launch ads tying Levin to Nancy Pelosi, but that line of attack proved ineffective.

As was the case for Republicans elsewhere, Harkey's campaign was seriously outmatched, with Levin's campaign outpsending her $5.1 million to $1.6 million. Harkey's campaign spent $700,000 on TV and radio ad buys with another $200,000 on direct mail, while Levin's campaign spent close to $1.8 million on TV ads, $400,000 on digital ads, and at least $500,000 on direct mail.

Outside spending dropped after the primary, with all but $20,000 of the $4.4 million from 19 different groups spent to Levin's benefit. A particularly disastrous interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune's editorial board did little to shake the perception that Harkey's campaign was a slow-motion train wreck. The Democrats' House Majority PAC spent $1.7 million, LCV Victory spent $822,000, and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg's Independence USA spent $700,000. Harkey was savaged by $3.2 million in opposition spending, while Levin received supportive spending of $1.2 million.

The first votes on election night had Harkey down by 5 points, and things only got worse for her from there. The ballots counted post-election day were brutal, going against her by a 60.3%/39.7% margin. Once the dust had settled, Levin trounced her 56.4%/43.6%, winning by close to 38,000 votes.
 


Democratic Party Pre-Endorsement Conference Endorsement (Primary): GOES TO CAUCUS
Democratic Party Primary Endorsement: NO CONSENSUS

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
APPLEGATE, DOOUGLAS D 63,143 1,005,398 1,065,917 2,624 5,500 0 09/30/2018 4 C00581595
ISSA, DARRELL E R 329,152 1,795,547 1,476,039 648,660 0 0 11/26/2018 0 C00350520
LEVIN, MIKE D 0 6,050,130 5,249,346 800,783 22,591 0 11/26/2018 749,966 C00634253
KERR, PAUL D 0 8,129,176 7,935,488 193,688 250,000 2,000,000 09/30/2018 0 C00650036
JACOBS, SARA D 0 2,890,250 2,729,781 160,469 0 0 09/30/2018 0 C00660837
SCHOONOVER, JOSHUA R 0 12,323 12,323 -440 0 0 06/05/2018 0 C00664557
HARKEY, DIANE R 0 1,644,786 1,640,070 4,716 77,100 100,000 11/26/2018 0 C00665513
GASPAR, KRISTIN R 0 387,953 383,742 4,211 19,735 0 09/30/2018 0 C00666842
MARYOTT, BRIAN R 0 760,194 750,394 9,800 10,000 700,000 09/30/2018 1,024,000 C00666859
CHRISTINA, PREJEAN D 0 37,554 37,554 0 0 0 06/30/2018 0 C00667063
CHAVEZ, ROCKY R 0 425,256 425,256 0 0 127,439 08/15/2018 0 C00667006
MEDWAY, DAVID DR. REP 0 0 0 0 0 0
SCHMITT, MICHAEL D REP 0 7,961 7,811 149 7,670 0 09/30/2018 0 C00673988
NORDAL, CRAIG REP 0 11,779 11,878 57 9,994 10,644 09/30/2018 0 C00672055
PENDLETON, ROBERT OTH 0 26,510 24,688 1,821 17,000 17,000 05/16/2018 0 C00673830
MILLS, JORDAN P OTH 0 0 0 0 0 0
HANCOCK, JOSHUA L LIB 0 0 0 0 0 0
ST JOHN, DANIELLE GRE 0 0 0 0 0 0

Candidate Filing Status

NAME PARTY SIL ISSUE SIL FILE NOM ISSUE NOM FILE COUNTY
Doug Applegate D 2018-02-26 2018-03-07 SAN DIEGO
Supriya Christopher D 2018-01-22 ORANGE
Davis Goodman D 2018-03-08 ORANGE
Sara J Jacobs D 2018-02-13 2018-03-09 SAN DIEGO
Paul Kerr D 2018-02-23 2018-03-09 SAN DIEGO
Mike Levin D 2018-02-13 2018-03-01 ORANGE
Daniel Perlman D SAN DIEGO
Christina Prejean D 2018-02-26 SAN DIEGO
Danielle T St John Grn 2018-02-14 2018-03-09 SAN DIEGO
Joshua L Hancock Lib 2018-01-26 2018-02-05 2018-03-05 2018-03-05 ORANGE
Robert Pendleton NPP 2018-02-13 2018-03-08 SAN DIEGO
Jordan Mills PAF 2018-03-05 2018-03-09 SAN DIEGO
David Arnold R 2018-01-18 ORANGE
Christina M Borgese R 2018-02-07 2018-02-07 ORANGE
Rocky Chavez R 2018-03-07 2018-03-09 SAN DIEGO
Kristin Gaspar R 2018-03-01 2018-03-13 SAN DIEGO
Diane Harkey R 2018-02-15 2018-02-26 ORANGE
Bryan Maryott R 2018-01-17 2018-02-05 2018-02-13 2018-02-27 ORANGE
David Medway R 2018-02-13 2018-03-14 SAN DIEGO
Craig A Nordal R 2018-02-12 2018-03-08 SAN DIEGO
Mike Schmitt R 2018-03-02 2018-03-06 ORANGE
Joshua Schoonover R 2018-03-05 2018-03-05 SAN DIEGO

Primary Election - June 5, 2018

CANDIDATE NAME PARTY BALLOT DESCRIPTION
Doug Applegate D Attorney/Father/Businessperson
Sara Jacobs D Education Nonprofit CEO
Paul G Kerr D Small Business Owner
Mike Levin D Clean Energy Advocate
Danielle St. John Grn Human Rights Advocate
Joshua L Hancock Lib No Ballot Designation
Robert Pendleton NPP Surgeon/Businessman/Artist
Jordan P Mills PAF Professor
Rocky J Chavez R Assemblymember
Kristin Gaspar R Chairwoman, San Diego County Board of Supervisors
Diane L Harkey R Taxpayer Representative/Businesswoman
Brian Maryott R Mayor Pro Tem
David Medway R Physician/Business Owner
Craig A Nordal R Real Estate Businessman
Mike Schmitt R Neuroaudiologist/Small Businessman
Johshua Schoonover R Patent Attorney

November 6th General Election Results

CD49

400,891 Registered Voters (2018-10-22)
D: 124,330 (31.01%) | R: 139,392 (34.77%) | NPP: 115,113 (28.71%)

R +3.76

542 of 542 precincts in (0 added)

295,030 votes cast (2039 added)
73.59% Voter Turnout

NAME PARTY VOTES Δ % Rank Last Votes Behind
Mike Levin
Clean Energy Advocate
DEM 166,453 +1,350 56.42% 1 1
Diane L. Harkey
Taxpayer Representative/Businesswoman
REP 128,577 +689 43.58% 2 2 -37,876

Candidates

Doug Applegate (D)

DOUGLAS L. APPLEGATE is a trial lawyer and the principal of his own law firm. He is also a veteran of Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, having retired from the Marine Corps after 32 years of service at the rank of colonel. He holds a bachelor's in Economics from Arizona State University, where he also received his law degree. He resides in San Clemente. ENDORSEMENTS: Sens. Ricardo Lara, Toni Atkins, Asm. Tom Daly, National Nurses United, VoteVets, former Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Justice Democrats; Campaign Manager: Luis Vizcaino (Luis Vizcaino Communications), Finance Director: Mara Lasko, Fundraising: Katharine Meyer Borst, Research: Point Loma Strategic Research

Mike Levin (D)

MIKE LEVIN (D) (b.10/20/78), at the time of his election to congress in 2018, was a director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, director and co-founder of Sustain OC, and director of government affairs at FuelCell Energy, a fuel cell company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services fuel cell power plants for distributed power generation. Prior to his involvement in the clean energy industry, he served as an attorney at Bryan Cave LLP, focusing on environmental and energy regulatory compliance, project development, and government advocacy. He served on the California Hydrogen Business Council Board of Directors, and previously served on the National Finance Committee for the Hillary for America 2016 Presidential campaign. A native of Lake Forest and a CORO Fellow, he holds a bachelor's in political science from Stanford, where he served as student body president, and a JD from Duke University. He resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their 2 young children.

Paul Kerr (D)

PAUL KERR (D) is a real estate investor and veteran of the U.S. Navy. Raised in Arizona, his family moved to San Diego County when he was 16. He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 and completed a tour off the coast of Vietnam after the war ended. He enrolled at San Diego State University at the age of 29, earning a bachelor's in Economics. After graduating, he worked for seven years as a commercial real estate appraiser with the Andrew A. Smith Company. He served as an Acquisitions Officer with Fairfield Residential, and joined Davlyn Investments in 1998, where he now serves as President. He resides in San Diego.

Sara Jacobs (D)

SARA JACOBS (D) (b.  2/1/89) is a former policy advisor for the Hillary for America presidential campaign and conflict and stabilization policy officer for the U.S. State Department in the Obama Administration. Prior to that, she worked at the United Nations in a variety of capacities, serving with the Innovation Unit at UNICEF, in the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations, and as a Peace and Development Advisor for UNDP. She most recently served as CEO of Project Connect, a non-profit focused on improving internet connectivity and improving access at schools across the globe. Born in Del Mar, she graduated from Torrey Pines HS, holds a bachelor's in political science and a master's in international relations from Columbia University, and currently resides in Encinitas. She is the granddaughter of billionaire philanthropist and Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs. She previously ran in 2018 for CA49, finishing a strong 3rd in the primary with 15.8% after Women's Vote, which received $2.5 million from Irwin Jacobs, spent $2.3 million in the primary to boost her candidacy.  At the time of her election in 2020 at the age of 31, she was the third youngest member of Congress.

Danielle St. John (Grn)

DANIELLE ST. JOHN (Grn) is a former Dental Office Manager at Marcos Ortega DDS and founder of Oral Benefits Solutions. A San Diego native, she went to Moon Senior HS and Carlsbad HS and resides in Carlsbad

Joshua Hancock (Lib)

JOSHUA L HANCOCK (Lib), 39, is a Southern California Edison worker and former Marine MP who has been an Oceanside resident for over 20 years.

Robert Pendleton (NPP)

ROBERT PENDLETON (NPP) is an ophthalmologist and Medical Director for Pendleton Eye Center and North Coast Surgery Center. A native of the San Diego area, he graduated from La Jolla HS in 1977, then enrolled in UC-Davis, earning his bachelor's in Biochemistry in 1981. He earned his masters in Chemistry from UC-Davis in 1982, then enrolled in the MD/Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois, earning his MD from University of Illinois-Chicago and his PhD in biochemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. He completed a one-year Internal Medicine Residency at Northwestern University's School of Medicine, followed by a three-year Ophthalmology Residency. He began his private practice in Buffalo, NY in 1994. In 1996, he relocated to Minnesota and opened a practice in the Brainerd Lakes area. In 1997, he returned to his native California and established the Pendelton Eye Center in Oceanside. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the Oceanside Museum of Art, and resides in Carlsbad.

Jordan Mills (PAF)

JORDAN MILLS (PAF) is a socialist, educator, and union organizer. Raised in San Diego, he graduated from Vista HS, then studied Communications at San Diego State University. Since 2000, he has worked as a professor and debate coach at Southwestern College in San Diego County. He resides in Oceanside with his wife, Ann Johnson.

Diane Harkey (R)

DIANE HARKEY (R) (b. 6/20/51) was first elected to the Dana Point City Council in 2004. Mid-way through her first term on the Council, she made an unsuccessful run in a 2006 Special Election for SD35, losing to Tom Harman by just 236 votes. Two years later, she successfully ran for the State Assembly, winning re-election in 2010 and 2012. After being termed out of her Assembly seat, she successfully ran for the newly-redrawn Board of Equalization 4th District, defeating Democrat Nader Shahatit by a decisive 61.4%/38.6% margin. Prior to holding office, she enjoyed a 30-year career in corporate finance and banking. She holds a bachelor's in Economics from UC-Irvine, and resides in Dana Point. ENDORSEMENTS: Darrell Issa

Kristin Gaspar (R)

KRISTIN GASPAR (R) was elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2016, narrowly unseating incumbent Dave Roberts by 1,272 votes in a 50.28%/49.72% contest. Roberts had been embroiled in controversy after the Board paid out $310,000 to settle claims made by former employees alleging inappropriate use of County funds, promoting a hostile work environment, retaliation against staff members, and several other issues. Prior to her election, she served on the Encinitas City Council, first winning election in 2010 as the youngest person ever elected to the council. She is the CFO for Gaspar Doctors of Physical Therapy, which opened in Encinitas in 1994 and is owned and operated by her husband, Paul, a former director of the California Physical Therapy Association. She holds a bachelor's in Journalism from Arizona State University. She and her husband reside in Encinitas. ENDORSEMENTS: San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Rep Ed Royce. Campaign Consultant: Jason Cabel Roe

Brian Maryott (R)

BRIAN MARYOTT (R), 55, is a retired financial service executive and first-term councilman for San Juan Capistrano, first winning election to the 5th Council District in 2016. Prior to his retirement this year, he was a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors. Raised in Massachusetts, he graduated from American International College in Western Massachusetts and worked for the Massachusetts House of Representatives for several years, serving as a Legislative Aide and Staff Director. Maryott previously mounted an unsuccessful run for this seat in the 2018 primary, spending $750,000, including $700,000 loaned to his own campaign, and finishing 8th of 16 with 3.02% at a cost of around $136 per vote. He is running on a platform focused on sound fiscal stewardship.

Rocky Chavez (R)

ROCKY CHÁVEZ (R) (b. 5/12/51) spent more than 28 years as a U.S. Marine, rising to the rank of colonel and serving as chief of staff of the 4th Marine Division. Chávez was elected to the Oceanside City Council in 2002 where he served for seven years. In 2009, he was appointed Undersecretary of the CA Dept of Veterans' Affairs by then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was elected to the 76th Assembly District in 2012, winning re-election in 2014 and 2016.  He briefly explored running for U.S. Senate in 2016, but withdrew before the primary.  He graduated from CSU Chico. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, one of whom is a physician. ENDORSEMENTS: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Michael D Schmitt (R)

MIKE SCHMITT (R) is a health care practicioner boasting he has more advanced degrees than any other candidate running in the race.

David Medway (R)

DR. DAVID C. MEDWAY (R), 51, is an internist specializing in weight control. He lists his ballot designation as 'Physician/Business Owner'. He earned his bachelor's in Psychology from UCLA and his MD from George Washington University. He resides in Carlsbad with his wife, Laura, an attorney.

Craig Nordal (R)

CRAIG A NORDAL (R) is the principal at Nordal Appraisal, a real estate appraisal firm. Born in Hemet, he graduated from Hemet HS, then earned his bachelor's in Agriculture-Fruit Industries at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona in 1978. He earned a second bachelor's in Music in 1984 from San Diego State University, and also earned a teaching credential in Music Performance. Since 1989, he has worked as a self-employed residential real estate appraiser. A self-described 'disciple of Jesus Christ' and a strong supporter of President Trump, he is running on an anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, pro-gun platform. He resides in Encinitas.

Joshua Schoonover (R)

JOSHUA SCHOONOVER (R) is a patent attorney at Coastal Patent Law Group. After earning his bachelor's in Chemical Physics from San Diego State University in 2005, he worked as a project engineer for GeneOhm developing antigen detecting diagnostics for use in medical applications. In 2007, he enrolled in Western Sierra Law School and began working as a mechanical engineer developing syringe delivery and storage systems for Artes Medical. He continued working as a patent agent for REVA Medical from 2008 to 2009, and finished his law degree in 2011. He served as President of the National Association of Patent Practitioners from 2011 until 2013, when he was admitted to the California Bar. A former NASCAR driver, he resides in Oceanside with his wife and daughter.

Campaign Ads

Warped Priorities ( - Levin)
ie ad From Congressional Leadership Fund

Levin Delivers ( - Levin)
campaign ad From Brian Maryott

Together ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Basic Rights ( - Maryott)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Money ( - Maryott)
ie ad From House Majority PAC

Settled Matter ( - Maryott)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

People Before Politics ( + Maryott)
campaign ad From Brian Maryott

Remember Me ( + Applegate)
campaign ad From Doug Applegate

Unfit For Command ( + Applegate)
campaign ad From Doug Applegate

Knockout ( - Chavez)
ie ad From DCCC

Lavish ( - Harkey)
ie ad From House Majority PAC

Time and Again ( - Harkey)
ie ad From Independence USA PAC

Gas Mask ( - Harkey)
ie ad From League of Conservation Voters

Out For Herself ( - Harkey)
ie ad From Priorities USA

The Truth About Diane Harkey ( - Harkey)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Tax Fighter ( + Harkey)
campaign ad From Diane Harkey

Different ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

Inspired ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

My Daughter ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

Something Big ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

Will ( + Jacobs)
ie ad From Women Vote!

New Generation ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

Tough Challenges ( + Jacobs)
campaign ad From Sara Jacobs

Rigged ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

Medicare for All ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

American Dream ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

Line in the Sand ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

Reckless ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

Garage ( + Kerr)
campaign ad From Paul Kerr

Predatory ( - Levin)
campaign ad From Diane Harkey

Adam Schiff ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Immigration ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Clean Energy ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Planned Parenthood ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

No Toll Road ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

San Onofre ( + Levin)
campaign ad From Mike Levin

Comparative ( + Levin)
ie ad From Independence USA PAC

Campaign 2016

Election Results

June Top-Two Primary
Darrell Issa R-Inc 84,626 50.82%
Doug Applegate D 75,808 45.52%
Ryan Glenn Wingo NPP 6,087 3.66%
November General Election
Darrell Issa R-Inc 155,888 50.26%
Doug Applegate D 154,267 49.74%

Analysis

This is an ordinarily safe Republican district, although the GOP's voter registration advantage narrowed from 14% in 2012 to just 6.59% this year. Nevertheless, Republican incumbent Darrell Issa has consistently polled at or around 60% and defeated his opponents by margins of around 20% since the advent of the top two primary, allowing any concerns about the district's structural shift to be swept under the rug. This year's primary results were not to be so easily dismissed.

Issa was the top vote getter in the primary, raising $759,000 and finishing with 50.82%. Democrat Doug Applegate put together a credible campaign, raising $186,000 and taking the number two spot with 45.52%. No Party Preference candidate Ryan Glenn Wingo, a MiraCosta Community College student, reported raising no money and claimed the remaining 3.66%. With Issa receiving just 1.64% over the combined total of his two opponents, there was growing excitement among Democrats salivating at the chance to take down a Congressman they viewed as one of the leading instigators of what they considered to be a series of witch hunts against the Obama Administration during his time as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

Following the primary, a DCCC-commissioned poll showed Issa and Applegate tied at 43% with 14% undecided. The poll also found GOP nominee Donald Trump with 60% unfavorable/34% favorable ratings and trailing Hillary Clinton 41% to 38% with 21% undecided within the district--Issa became one of the controversial GOP nominee's most fervent supporters. Issa's net worth of over $350 million ranks him as the wealthiest member of Congress by a wide margin, and he maintained a significant cash on hand advantage of $3.7 million to Applegate's $135,000. Beginning in early September, the House Majority PAC, a SuperPAC affiliated with Democratic leadership, launched the first salvos opposing Issa, with the DCCC entering the fray a month later. By the time all the receipts were tallied, nearly $3.7 million in independent expenditures had been logged. The DCCC was by far the biggest spender, deploying $2.3 million to support Applegate along with another $102,000 to oppose Issa. The House Majority PAC added another $791,000 to support Issa and $200,000 opposing Issa. The CA Labor Federation jumped in with an additional $154,000 opposing Issa. Fundraising for both Applegate and Issa rocketed into overdrive, with final campaign statements showing Issa spending a staggering $6.2 million and Applegate spending $1.6 million. Issa resorted to sending out campaign mailers featuring President Obama, thanking him for signing legislation Issa supported, a move Obama derided as 'shameless' in response. 

Court records were unearthed in September that proved embarrassing for Applegate's campaign. The records revealed that in 2004 Applegate was accused of stalking his ex-wife. A judge granted two restraining orders and forced Applegate to temporarily surrender his firearms. Additional records were unearthed highlighting a 2000 DUI charge for which Applegate eventually pled guilty to reckless driving.

In late September, the Issa campaign launched www.colonedougapplegateforcongress.com, an attack website targeting Applegate on taxes, trade, and a host of other issues.

On election night, Issa was clinging to a close 3,979 vote lead. As the provisional votes were counted, the results began to narrow, prompting Issa to fire off a fundraising e-mail with the subject line 'I won, But Now the Liberals Are Trying to Steal the Election' and warning of 'thousands of illegal, unregistered voters' tilting the results to his opponent. The race remained uncalled until November 28th, when the AP finally declared Issa the winner. Issa's 1,621 vote victory was the closest House, Assembly, or Senate race in 2016, and the worst performance for any CA GOP incumbent in a district with a Republican registration advantage. Final turnout in the primary was 51.98%, while 80.15% of the district's registered voters cast a ballot for this race in November, the single highest percentage for any House, Assembly, or Senate race in 2016. 

View DCCC Research Page: Darrell Issa (R-Inc)  NRCC Research Page: Doug Applegate

Issa TV Spots: Our Congressman  Ã¢â‚¬Â¢  Litmus Test

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
APPLEGATE, DOUGLAS LOREN DEM 0 2,082,204 1,678,302 27,495 33,544 5 12/31/2016 6,700 C00581595
WINGO , RYAN GLENN NPA 0 0 0 0 0 0
ISSA, DARRELL REP 3,750,024 2,890,441 6,311,313 329,152 48,302 0 12/31/2016 0 C00350520

Candidates

Darrell Issa* (R)

DARRELL ISSA (pronounced EYE-sah) is of Lebanese descent. Prior to his election to Congress, he founded an electronics manufacturing firm specializing in automobile convenience, audio and security products.  
              
Issa entered the U.S. Army during his senior year in high school and, after attending college on an ROTC scholarship, attained the rank of captain (tank platoon leader).  He is a graduate of Siena Heights University in Adrien, Michigan and is currently serving on its Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Katharine, live in Vista and have one son.

Doug Applegate (D)

DOUGLAS L. APPLEGATE is a trial lawyer and the principal of his own law firm. He is also a veteran of Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, having retired from the Marine Corps after 32 years of service at the rank of colonel. He holds a bachelor's in Economics from Arizona State University, where he also received his law degree. He resides in San Clemente. ENDORSEMENTS: Sens. Ricardo Lara, Toni Atkins, Asm. Tom Daly, National Nurses United, VoteVets, former Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Justice Democrats; Campaign Manager: Luis Vizcaino (Luis Vizcaino Communications), Finance Director: Mara Lasko, Fundraising: Katharine Meyer Borst, Research: Point Loma Strategic Research

Ryan Glenn Wingo (IND)

RYAN G. WINGO (NPP) is a student at MiraCosta Community College running on a fiscally conservative, socially liberal, pro-2nd amendment platform.

Campaign 2014

Election Results

June Top-Two Primary
Darrell Issa R-Inc 56,558 61.89%
Dave Peiser D 25,946 28.39%
Noboru Isagawa D 8,887 9.72%
November General Election
Darrell Issa R-Inc 98,161 60.17%
Dave Peiser D 64,981 39.83%

Analysis

Three candidates appeared on the June Top Two Primary ballot. The top vote getter by a wide margin was incumbent Republican Darrell Issa with 62%. Democratic businessman Dave Peiser came in a distant second with 28%. Democrat Noboru Isagawa, a retired investment counselor from Laguna Niguel, came in third with 10%. Another Democrat, Johnny Moore from Oceanside, ran a write-in campaign and received 16 votes.

Peiser made a moderate effort, raising and spending about $84,000. But this is a safe Republican district and Issa was easily reelected.

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
ISAGAWA, NOBORU DEM 0 0 0 0 0 0
MOORE, JOHNNY DEM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C00555185
PEISER, DAVE DEM 0 94,235 85,321 8,273 13,000 13,000 12/31/2014 0 C00549212
ISSA, DARRELL REP 1,749,490 3,750,001 1,749,467 3,750,024 5,710 0 12/31/2014 0 C00350520

Candidates

Darrell Issa* (R)

DARRELL ISSA (pronounced EYE-sah) is of Lebanese descent. Prior to his election to Congress, he founded an electronics manufacturing firm specializing in automobile convenience, audio and security products.  
              
Issa entered the U.S. Army during his senior year in high school and, after attending college on an ROTC scholarship, attained the rank of captain (tank platoon leader).  He is a graduate of Siena Heights University in Adrien, Michigan and is currently serving on its Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Katharine, live in Vista and have one son.

Dave Peiser (D)

Dave Peiser
Noboru Isagawa (D)

Noboru Isagawa

Campaign 2012

Election Results

June Top-Two Primary
Darrell Issa R-Inc 71,329 61.09%
Jerry Tetalman D 35,816 30.68%
Dick Eiden NPP 7,988 6.84%
Albin Novinec NPP 1,626 1.39%
November General Election
Darrell Issa R-Inc 159,725 58.16%
Jerry Tetalman D 114,893 41.84%

Analysis

When the Citizens Redistricting Commission approved the new district lines, the residences of GOP Reps. Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray were both located in the district, but Bilbray unsuccessfully sought reelection in CD52, losing to Democrat Scott Peters.

Three candidates challenged Issa in the June Top Two Primary. Issa, with 61% of the vote, was easily the top vote getter. Democrat Jerry Tetalmana real estate agent, former nurse and an anti-war activist, came in second with 31%, thus qualifying him for the November runoff against Issa. The other two, both running as No Party Preference candidates were Dick Eiden (7%), a retired longtime political activist for progressive causes; and Albin Novinec (1%), a realtor and retired Marine.

Tetalman put in a modest effort, raising and spending just under $100,000, but the effort had minimum impact on the election outcome.

 

Financials

CANDIDATE PARTY BEGINNING $ RECEIPTS SPENT ENDING $ DEBT LOANS END DATE SINCE CMTE
TETALMAN, JERRY DEM 0 136,168 132,720 3,448 8,000 13,000 12/31/2012 0 C00500975
EIDEN, RICHARD JOHN NPA 0 30,282 30,282 0 0 0 09/30/2012 0 C00506659
NOVINEC, ALBIN DENNIS NPA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C00518704
ISSA, DARRELL REP 386,002 2,478,710 1,115,222 1,749,490 10,817 0 12/31/2012 0 C00350520

Candidates

Darrell Issa* (R)

DARRELL ISSA (pronounced EYE-sah) is of Lebanese descent. Prior to his election to Congress, he founded an electronics manufacturing firm specializing in automobile convenience, audio and security products.  
              
Issa entered the U.S. Army during his senior year in high school and, after attending college on an ROTC scholarship, attained the rank of captain (tank platoon leader).  He is a graduate of Siena Heights University in Adrien, Michigan and is currently serving on its Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Katharine, live in Vista and have one son.

Jerry Tetalman (D)

Jerry Tetalman
Dick Eiden (IND)

Dick Eiden
Albin Novinec (IND)

Albin Novinec