Democratic incumbent Rep. Mike Levin is vying for his fourth term to represent California’s 49th congressional district, a coastal area that spans Orange and San Diego counties.
Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, will face Republican Matt Gunderson, a businessman whose congressional bid follows an unsuccessful attempt to win a state Senate seat in 2022.
Environmental issues are particularly relevant in this district, which includes the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Levin, a former environmental attorney, said removing nuclear waste from the site is a top priority of his, and he’s introduced a series of bills aimed at moving the spent nuclear fuel out of the region.
“The situation at San Onofre is a symptom of a larger national problem: the federal government is delinquent in its responsibility to take the waste and move it to a disposal site,” Levin said.
Gunderson, in a questionnaire posed by the Orange County Register, said he wants to see long-term solutions to sand replenishment and coastal bluff preservation efforts. He said that, if elected, he would work to secure federal funds to help with sand erosion challenges in Southern California.
“We must reverse the loss of our eroding coastline and our crumbling cliffs,” said Gunderson, who lives in Ladera Ranch.
Levin, who sits on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has advocated for veterans and servicemembers in Congress. His district includes the U.S. Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton, located near Oceanside.
Gunderson, Levin’s Republican challenger, previously operated three auto dealerships in Orange County. Originally from rural Wisconsin, Gunderson moved to California 25 years ago, and he said the state has since become unaffordable.
“I pursued the California dream and built three businesses from the ground up. Today, that would be nearly impossible due to government overregulation and sky-high taxes,” said Gunderson, 61. “We can change this by controlling runaway spending, eliminating burdensome taxes like the gas tax, and committing to making our country energy independent.”
Levin said lowering the costs of electricity, food and housing is among his top priorities in Congress. He said the federal government should do more to curtail food supply chain disruptions, which would alleviate price surges at grocery stores.
Both candidates said they opposed mass deportation proposals.
Securing the border is a key issue for Gunderson, as highlighted on his campaign website. But he said, in the Register’s Voter Guide, a mass deportation proposal “is not just unlikely, it’s virtually impossible.”
“We must close and secure our border in the short term so we can address the challenges of our immigration system in the long term,” Gunderson said. “Do we need compressive immigration reform? Yes. But we cannot talk about remodeling the kitchen while our house is on fire.”
Levin, 46, said he opposes former President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan that he described would “sweep up longtime law-abiding residents and undocumented military veterans.” He also lambasted Republican lawmakers for killing a bipartisan border security bill, saying it was a “terrible loss” for the country.
“I will continue to fight for executive action and legislation to strengthen border security by hiring more Border Patrol agents and deploying technologies to interdict drugs like fentanyl,” he said.
CA-49 spans the coast along Orange and San Diego counties, and includes Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Del Mar.
Democrats hold a slight edge in terms of voter registration. As of Sept. 6, according to state data, 36.4% of registered voters in the district are Democrats, 33.8% Republicans and 21.8% no party preference.
The Cook Political Report, which analyzes elections, recently moved the district from “likely Democrat,” to “lean Democrat,” which indicates that while Levin remains the favored candidate, the race has become more competitive. Inside Elections, a newsletter that provides campaign analysis, has pegged the race as “likely Democratic.”
In the last general election, Levin defeated Republican challenger Brian Maryott by just over 15,000 votes, 52.6%.
Levin is far ahead of Gunderson in campaign funding. Levin reported raising $4.8 million through Sept. 30 and has $1.4 million left to spend. In contrast, Gunderson reported raising $3.4 million through Sept. 30, of which $2.1 million is a personal loan, and has $325,984 left to spend.
Find out more about Gunderson and Levin — and other candidates on your ballot — with the Register’s Voter Guide. Both candidates were sent questionnaires and in their own words, detailed their plans on various issues, from artificial intelligence to housing and from the U.S. Supreme Court to access to fertility treatments. You can also find what’s on their playlists as they’re on the campaign trail.
