California Congressional District 51: Same As It Was Last Time

Ho-hum. Given all that’s going on with the #TrumpDeathCult and their media enablers, it’s almost a pleasure to write about a district where Republicans don’t stand a chance in hell.

I’m referring to the 51st Congressional District, where incumbent Juan Vargas is likely to get 70% of the vote against the ‘other’ Juan, namely Juan Hidalgo. (He calls himself the ‘right’ Juan, so please excuse my play on words here.)

Hidalgo is making a career of running against Vargas. This will be his third try, and he’s yet to get upwards of 30% of the vote. 

For all their chest beating about the wall, the GOP is mighty unpopular in a district containing the entirety of California’s border with Mexico. Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 49 points. The key Trumpian demographic, white people, make up only 14.4% of the population.

Vargas could have had a challenger from the left in the primary this year, but activist Aeiramique Glass-Blake failed to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot. It would have been an uphill fight, given the brand-name advantages of incumbency.

While the congressional race in D51 may be a snoozer, there are other contests in National City (Marcus Bush & Jose Rodriguez for city council), Chula Vista (Steve Padilla & Andrea Cardenas for city council), Imperial Beach (Mark West & Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez), and El Centro worth looking into. 

I don’t usually --for time reasons, being a one person shop-- get into water districts, but if you happen to live in the Otay Water District, seat 4 is currently occupied by proud bigot Hector Gastelum. Jose Lopez, a retired fire marshall, has the endorsement of the Democratic Party and would be worth your time to find down the ballot.  

The top of the ticket being a given is all the more reason to pay close attention to the up and coming candidates. 

Here’s the complete list of candidates running for office in San Diego County. (73 pages!)

Here’s the Democratic Party list of candidates for San Diego. 

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Juan Vargas

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements

Bio: Raised on a chicken ranch in National City, one of ten children. Only job experience outside politics was working in the insurance business.

Education: Attended the University of San Diego on scholarship, graduated Magna Cum Laude receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science; Master of Humanities from Fordham University in New York City; Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School

Relevant experience; San Diego City Council, State Assembly, State Senate. Incumbent Congressman since 2012.

A significant accomplishment: As a Jesuit; worked with disadvantaged communities, including orphaned children and internally displaced people in the jungles of El Salvador.

Politics in a nutshell: Liberal Centrist

$$$$

Aggregate contributions: $549,253.00

A sampling of links concerning Juan Vargas

• Vargas Heads Local Delegation Behind Bill Making EPA the Lead on Border Sewage

• Vargas Joins Harris in Calling on CBP, ICE to Clarify Agency Roles at Floyd Protests

• Congressman Juan Vargas Pushes Bill to Include Chicano Park in National Park System

***

Juan M Hidalgo, Jr

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements

Bio: Born and raised in San Diego; enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1984- discharged as Sergeant Major in 19995.

Education: Associates Degree in General Studies from Central Texas College; Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice (Summa cum laude) from Park University. Graduate of the National Defense University Keystone Executive Leadership Course;First-Degree Black Belt from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Relevant experience: “I must serve, I have to serve . . . because it is what I have been trained to do. We need proven leaders that will put others before their own needs.”  

A significant accomplishment: Ran for this seat in 2016 and 2018.

Politics in a nutshell: Very Conservative

$$$$

Aggregate contributions: $23,570.00
Including $3,000.00 loan

A sampling of links concerning Juan Hidalgo:

• Sergeant Major Juan Hidalgo will put Americans First if elected to the 51st Congressional District -

• The Race for Congress - 51st District | News | thedesertreview.com

• Juan Hidalgo Jr.'s campaign for the 51st Congressional District -

Next Up: Local Congressional Contests: D52, D53

Voter Guide – You’ve Voted for President, what’s next?

I’ll be writing about many ballot measures and candidates between now and the end of September. That work will be condensed into a handy-dandy voter guide just in time for your mail-in ballots to arrive. I’m the guy who coordinated San Diego Free Press’s Voter Guides over the past decade, so this won’t be my first effort. Stay tuned.

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