County residents vie for District 48 seat

Karen Ossenfort

Special to the Village News

Lucinda KWH Jahn

Coming into the race for the United States Congressional Representative for District 48 is a newcomer with no party affiliation, Lucinda KWH Jahn.

She calls herself the "Zero Donate Candidate." "I am not for sale! I'm not asking for your money, just your vote," Jahn said.

"There was a time I could ex­pect my representatives to be responsive to the people they represented. Recently, however, it's become clear to me it's no longer the case. My representa­tives are not accountable to the citizens of their district or state, but to their party, donors, and lobbyists," she said.

Jahn said the issues that most affect the 48th District citizens, are immigration law and enforcement, and water management. Those are two of the biggest issues in the district as I see it now," she said.

"It appears we have not revisited our immigration laws since 1986. It is time we revisit the law and rewrite it to meet the new situation we find ourselves in.

"The water issue is going to require some research and funding. New agricultural practices and water conservation methods need to be explored," Jahn enthused.

"I can help improve the lives of all in my district by not being beholden to a party or corporate funding. I am free to discuss all the issues and make decisions based on the merits of the arguments presented. I can also help my constituents navigate the huge bureaucracy that is our federal government," Jahn concluded.

Though she may be running without prior experience, Jahn has a lot of passion and commitment to our nation and the communities she may possibly serve. "I am not affiliated with a party. I am free to engage both parties on the issues. I will not be controlled by a party and I will not be viewed by either party as, "the opposition."

https://lucindakwhjahn.com/index.html

Darrell Issa

Darrell Issa is the incumbent and a familiar face to many in North County, especially Vista, where he made his home for many years. He's in a new district now, and hopes to continue his work in Congress.

For those who think congressmen and congresswomen don't work much, Issa

is a study in contrast.

Among his accomplishments in Congress as former chairman of the House Oversight and Governance Reform Committee, Issa exposed White House intention to manipulate the 2010 Census for political gain, the revelation of which "was a key reason for the self-withdrawal from consideration of New Hampshire Senator Judd Greg from his nomination by former president Obama to be Secretary of Commence, the cabinet department that incorporates the bureau of the census.

Issa also led the "fight to hold Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi accountable, to keep their promise to run the 'Most Open and Honest Government in history.". He was the first to call for a full 9/11 Commission-style investigation into the cause of the current financial collapse and to investigate the expenditure of TARP resources and stimulus funds.

Issa was elected in 2020 for the 50th Congressional District. All that changed with the recent redistricting of the county boundaries. The new 48th District goes further north from San Diego County into Riverside County. His new district following the 2022 primary, will no longer include the southern half of Escondido, El Cajon or San Marcos.

Directed Electronics, and the Viper car security product, is what made Issa a household name. He ran the company out of Vista. His company was a tech leader of its era for years. He served as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, the Board of Governors for the Electronics Industry Association, and as a director of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce. He was the 1994 recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year award from Inc. magazine, Ernst & Young, and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Darrellissa.com/about/

Matthew G. Rascon

Another newcomer to the race for the Congressional District 48 is Matthew G. Rascon.

The San Diego County resident said, "I am running to represent my home district ... and because I want to fight, not just for myself, but for the needs and wants of the district I proudly call home."

He said that "beyond the need for congressional reform, some of the larger issues for the area include housing shortages and the drought."

"The housing shortage can be addressed by first working on the needed fixes advancements in infrastructure in the more densely populated areas, relieving worries about traffic, power, and the constraints that limit our ability to expand," Rascon said.

"Regarding the drought, a focus on controlled-environment agriculture development can help maintain and expand jobs in the agricultural sector while reducing water and other resource demands of farming at scale," he added.

He hopes to improve the lives of all in his district,"By fighting tirelessly for congressional reform so they have a government that works for the people, pushing for increased VA funding so we can better support those, who enlisted to support and protect our nation, and working diligently on the issues at hand instead of constantly fundraising.'

Historically, it has always been a problem to reach out across the partisan aisle. Rascon wants to end that. "I plan to reach across the aisle to work alongside my fellow countrymen(women), regardless of their party affiliation. As a representative, I won't simply vote party lines, I'll work and vote based on the needs of my constituents, and work towards cooperation over divisiveness . What matters is the needs of CA48, and the nation. Mudslinging and divisiveness only get in the way of working towards a better tomorrow," he concluded.

http://www.matthewrascon2022.com/meet-the-candidate

Stephen Houlahan

Stephen Houlahan's responses weren't received by deadline. The information here is off his website, which you can see for yourself.

Houlahan grew up in California's 48th district, "– just 10 minutes down the road from where I now live with my wife and son," he said.

"I know the folks in my district because I grew up facing many of the same challenges that plague our community today. I know what it's like to be in the working class; what it's like to have to choose between paying your mortgage and your health care. My mother worked two jobs to make ends meet, so I helped raise my sister and started working when I was 13," he said.

"My grandfather was an amphibious landing craft captain in WW2 and a Navy Chief in Korea and Vietnam. When I was young I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Fate had other plans, but I stayed committed to serving my community -

I became a nurse. In my job, I have treated millionaires and homeless people, immigrants and border patrol agents,

Democrats, Republicans, black, white, vaccinated and unvaccinated," he said.

"I give my patients the best possible care regardless of who they are, and I will do the same thing for the people of California's 48th," he assured.

In 2016, while working full-time and coaching his son's baseball team, he ran for the Santee City Council and was elected.

"Serving as council member and vice mayor, I worked across the aisle to protect my community from a massive power plant and pipeline, led Santee's $10 million park redevelopment project, successfully passed term limits, and headed the contract negotiations for the Santee Firefighter Paramedics. I'm no longer on the council, but folks still stop me on the bike trails and in Costco to thank me for my service to our community," he concluded.

https://electhoulahan.com/on-the-issues/