4 Democrats vie to flip Issa’s 49th Congressional seat from red to blue

Orange County Register (CA)

May 31--Four Democratic candidates are running for retiring Republican Congressman Darrell Issa's seat, trying to flip the perennial GOP district from red to blue.

The four Democrats agree on most of the big issues. They all support passing Medicare for All or single-payer healthcare, expediting America's transition to renewable energy sources, creating a $15 federal minimum wage, banning assault weapons and bump stocks and implementing universal background checks on gun sales.

Doug Applegate, a retired Marine colonel and an Oceanside attorney, has been the front-running Democrat since he nearly beat Issa in 2016, earning then-President Barack Obama's endorsement during that contest. He has promised to fight against Trump's efforts to privatize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if elected.

Mike Levin, the former executive director of the Orange County Democratic Party and a San Juan Capistrano environmental lawyer, was the district's top finisher during the California Democratic Party's endorsement process, falling just shy of the 60 percent of votes needed to secure the party's backing. He has highlighted his background as the director of governmental affairs for a clean-energy company, noting that he has already worked to influence energy policy in that role.

Sara Jacobs, a former U.S. State Department contractor, would at age 29 be the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She has emphasized that as a change needed in Washington D.C. and said she would advocate for women's reproductive rights and equal pay. She also has touted herself as the only Democrat with experience making and implementing public policy. Jacobs has largely self-funded her campaign through inherited wealth.

Paul Kerr, a Ranco Santa Fe real estate investor, has marketed himself to voters as someone from a working-class background who understands their struggles. He frequently tells his story of joining the Navy to help pay for his mom's medical debts, later having difficulty finding employment as a veteran and eventually working his way to becoming a self-made millionaire real-estate investor who has self-funded his campaign. He has said he'll work to create more job opportunities for veterans.