78th Assembly District

Rep. Harley Rouda has lived in California since 2007 and is a resident of Laguna Beach. He is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2019. According to campaign materials, Rep. Rouda is running for re-election to be a Congressional representative who is accessible and unifying, and to provide leadership that is puts country over party and service above self.

In Congress, Rep. Rouda has authored legislation to protect vulnerable coastal communities impacted by the climate crisis, ensure fair lending to LGBTQ-owned businesses, and to hold manufacturing polluters accountable for water contamination. He currently serves as Chair of the Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Environment. Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Rouda worked as a lawyer and was an active supporter of Orange County charities working to address issues including domestic violence and homelessness.

Rep. Rouda is being challenged by John Thomas Schuesler (R), Michelle Steel (R), Richard Mata (AI), Brian Burley (R), and James Brian Griffin (R). According to recent election results, it's rare that Democrats wins this seat, as Rep. Rouda did in 2018. In fact, he is the first Democrat to win since the district was created in 1992.

Rep. Rouda’s track record of fighting for important environmental protections, his work to protect communities under attack, and his strong base in the district he managed to flip in 2018 make him the strongest choice for progressive leadership in this race.
 

Ammar Campa-Najjar was born and raised in San Diego. According to campaign materials he is running to represent District 50 in Congress to fight for real ethics and campaign finance reform, while protecting an individual’s right to personal health, safety, and economic dignity. 

Campa-Najjar has served in a White House position in the Executive Office of the President, at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he led the Office of Public Affairs for the Employment and Training Administration. His first work experience was as a church janitor to help contribute to his family’s economic security. Through his professional experiences, Campa-Najjar has helped to promote the economic growth of more than 4 million Latinx-owned small businesses, expanded aid for farm workers, launched youth summer jobs programs, and advanced veteran employment opportunities. 

This is Campa-Najjar’s second attempt at running for Congressional District 50. In 2018, Campa-Najjar came in second, after what was widely described as an ugly, racist congressional campaign in which Campa-Najjar was smeared by Representative Duncan Hunter, as well as Hunter’s father, a former congressman. Rep. Hunter has since resigned after pleading guilty to conspiracy to misuse campaign funds.

Camapa-Najjar’s campaign has decent childcare, education, and campaign finance reform positions. That said, in this second attempt at running for Congressional District 50, Campa-Najjar has fallen short on advocating for large structural healthcare reform, has said that we would have abstained from voting on impeachment, and has even claimed that he will be a conservative voice for his district. 

Challengers include Brian Jones (R), Carl DeMaio (R), Darrell Issa (R), Helen Horvath (NPP), Henry Ota (NPP), Jose Cortes (Peace and Freedom), Lucinda Jahn (NPP), Marisa Calderon (D), and Nathan Wilkins (R). One notable challenger is former House Congressmember Republican Darrell Issa, who was in office from 2001 to 2019. While in office, Issa played a prominent role in GOP-led investigations of the Obama administration in his role as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Rep. Issa is currently attracting attention for his troubling campaign advertising strategy, which has been criticized for attempting to use another challenger’s sexual orientation against him. 

According to recent election results, it's very challenging for a Democrat to win this district. Though we disagree with Campa-Najjar’s healthcare and impeachment stances, as well as his self-proclaimed conservative title, in this crowded field, Campa-Najjar stands out as the best choice because of his commitment to public service, his campaign’s comprehensive policy platform, and his proven ability to compete in his district.

According to our analysis, Ammar Campa-Najjar is the strongest choice for Congressional District 50 and deserves your vote.
 

Representative Juan Carlos Vargas was born and raised in California's 51st congressional district, which he was first elected to in 2012. 

Vargas’ district includes Imperial county and the southern part of San Diego county along the U.S-Mexican border. To address local concerns about cross-border pollution, particularly of waterways, Vargas supported the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), specifically citing the $300 million that will be allocated to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP). He has been an advocate for action on climate change, and is one of the co-sponsors of House Resolution 109, which calls on the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal. 

Vargas has been critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including the wall at the border, the Migrant Protection Protocols, and the deportation of veterans. He urged Democrats to take a strong stance against Trump’s efforts to divert Pentagon funds to build a border wall. Recently, he called for investigations in to efforts by Customs and Border Protection to send asylum seekers to Mexico by issuing documents for fake court hearings. He has also sponsored legislation that would allow Dreamers to apply for FHA loans, which HUD currently denies.  

Courage California (then known as Courage Campaign) was deeply involved in the fight for the Homeowner Bill of Rights in 2012, a critical piece of state legislation to protect homeowners from predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Then Senator Vargas played a key role as head of the Banking Committee in the California Senate, prior to his election to Congress. Unfortunately, Vargas repeatedly attempted to protect Wall Street from accountability. However, after heroic organizing with our partners at ACCE (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment), he stepped down as committee chair, which eventually allowed for the landmark bill to pass. This gives us great pause about Rep. Vargas’ commitment to progressive governance.

Representative Vargas is running against Juan M Hidalgo Jr. (R). While we have major concerns about Vargas and encourage a more progressive candidate to run against him in a future election cycle, there is no question that he is preferable to a Republican given his record, particularly on issues such as climate change and immigration. 
 

Scott Peters is the incumbent, having served as Representative since 2013. Peters has often touted himself as independent and has a mixed record on progressive issues. 

Peters is an environmental lawyer by trade and served on the San Diego City Council before his election to Congress. He supports women’s rights and reproductive choice, including abortion rights, and LGBTQ equality. He is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL, and Human Rights Campaign. He is also a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and called for laws to toughen background checks and bans on high capacity magazines and assault-style weapons. While he does not support the Green New Deal or Medicare for All, he has supported investing in renewable energy, protections for California’s Coastline, and introduced the "Build More Housing Near Transit Act.” 

After the 2010 census redistricting, the district began to slowly trend towards Democrats. Peters narrowly won this race in 2012 and 2014 against a Republican, but in 2016 and 2018 won by comfortable margins. This is now a safe Democratic seat, and constituents deserve strong progressive representation. 

Peters is being challenged by Nancy Casady (D), a progressive activist who is running on a Green New Deal platform, however, according to our analysis, she has been unable to mount a viable challenge to Peters, given her lack of fundraising and partner endorsements. We look forward to supporting a viable challenge to Peters in the future. 

Two other challengers have qualified for the ballot: Jim DeBello (R) and Ryan Cunningham (NPP). Given the fact that Peters is infinitely preferable to a Republican occupying this seat and his Democratic challenger isn’t viable, we believe Peters is the strongest candidate for this office.
 

Chris Ward is from San Diego and lives in University Heights. According to campaign materials, he is running to represent District 78 to support working families, improve access to the California Dream, and promote a sustainable and healthy natural environment.

Chris Ward has been the District 3 Councilmember on San Diego’s City Council since 2016. He chairs the San Diego County Regional Task Force on the Homeless, which is committed to “housing-first” strategies to address the city’s homelessness. In 2017, Councilmember Ward introduced an ordinance that requires city contractors to pay men and women the same rates for equal work. In 2019, the city council approved his ordinance for a city-wide ban on ban styrofoam and single-use plastics. Councilmember Ward’s track record demonstrates his commitment to getting results.

Prior to his election to city council, Ward served as Chief of Staff to State Senator Marty Block and had worked as an environmental planner. He received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his masters from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Chris Ward is running against candidates Micah Perlin (D) and Sarah Davies (D) for this open seat. According to recent election results, Democrats usually win this seat. Chris Ward is the best progressive choice because of his commitment to housing and economic development, equal pay, and the environment. 

According to our analysis, Chris Ward is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Toni Atkins is from Virginia and has lived in San Diego for over 30 years. She is the incumbent, having served in this position since 2016. According to campaign materials she is running for re-election to continue to champion issues of equity, including affordable housing, healthcare, women’s rights, and LGBTQ protections.

In the State Senate, Atkins passed legislation that created a permanent source of funding for affordable housing. She currently serves as the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and is the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to hold that position. Atkins is on the Rules Committee and three additional committees. Prior to her election to the State Senate, she served two terms in the State Assembly where she instituted a $7.5m water bond, and established the state’s first Earned Income Tax Credit. Atkins also served as the Director of Clinic Services at Womancare Health Center before being elected to the San Diego City Council, and briefly acting as the interim Mayor.

Toni Atkins is running unopposed. She scores a lifetime 99 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator's progressive voting record. Based on our Courage Score analysis, Senator Atkins has consistently shown great courage advocating for the needs of constituents and facing down corporate lobbyists and interest groups that exploit Californians.

According to our analysis, Toni Atkins is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.
 

Olga Diaz is a lifelong California resident and has lived in Escondido for over 10 years. According to campaign materials she is running for Board of Supervisors to use her unique understanding of the diverse needs of the community to advocate for environmental and social justice issues at the county level.

Diaz is a member of the Escondido City Council, which she does to apply her academic background in public administration and accounting to the city’s challenging issues of budgeting and priority setting. Diaz has collaborated with a variety of stakeholders and, as the first Latino elected to the City Council, has worked to put inclusive community relationships at the front of her local work. She has been instrumental in the Escondido Creek restoration project that is in progress, which demonstrates a dynamic focus on environmental protection, urban renewal, and public safety. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, Diaz would build on this experience to take actionable steps to improve the region's response to climate change, to produce more affordable housing, and to provide wrap-around services for individuals experiencing homelessness. As a citizen, Diaz has served on the Board of Directors for the Voice of San Diego, the Community Advisory Council for San Diego Gas & Electric, the California Coastal Commission, the CSU President’s Advisory Committee, and the San Diego Union Tribune Latino Advisory Board. 

Diaz is running against Kristin Gaspar, who is the incumbent and has held the seat since 2016, as well as Terra Lawson-Remer. Diaz is the best progressive choice because of her experience in local government and her track record of working to be an effective consensus builder to get things done for constituents. 

According to our analysis, Olga Diaz is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.

Todd Gloria is a lifelong San Diegan, and grew up in Clairemont. According to campaign materials, he is running for San Diego Mayor to continue to work to align his public service with his philosophy that public systems should work dynamically to benefit all members of a community, not just the wealthy and connected.

Gloria is a California State Assemblymember representing the 78th Assembly District, and does this work to find legislative solutions to the issues affecting his community, like affordable housing, gun violence prevention, and climate change. He was elected to this seat in 2016, and served as the Assistant Majority Whip before assuming his current role of Majority Whip. Early in his career, Gloria worked for the County of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency, and worked as the District Director for Congresswoman Susan Davis. He served 8 years in the San Diego City Council, eventually acting as Interim Mayor, and authoring an aggressive and nationally recognized Climate Action Plan. Gloria was a popular and accessible member of city government, advocating for local infrastructure projects, championing LGBTQ rights, and working to raise the city's minimum wage. 

Gloria is running against Barbara Bry, Rich Riel, Scott Sherman, Gita Applebaum Singh, and Tasha Williamson for this open seat. As an Assemblymember in 2019, he scored a 98 out of 100 on Courage Score, our annual analysis of a legislator's progressive voting records. Gloria is the progressive choice because of his history of demonstrated leadership, and his track record of successfully working to pass legislation that benefits diverse communities in the region.

According to our analysis, Todd Gloria is the strongest choice for progressive leadership in office.