• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Saturday, June 3, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
The Capistrano Dispatch
No Result
View All Result

Levin Declines Maryott’s Challenge to Debate Ahead of Primary

by Capo Dispatch
August 28, 2019 2:42PM
in EYE ON SJC, News
Levin Meets with Constituents in San Clemente

Congressman Mike Levin speaks with San Clemente resident Davida Hansen on Wednesday, May 29. Photo: Shawn Raymundo

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Shawn Raymundo

Though there’s still a little more than six months to go before California’s Primary Elections, the apparent Republican frontrunner in the state’s 49th Congressional District race is already looking to verbally spar with the incumbent and Democratic opponent.

Earlier this week, San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott, who will likely earn the Republican nod in the state’s Primary race this March, challenged Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., to a series of debates in the coming months.

“Our congressional campaigns offer differing ideas for the future of our district and voters deserve the opportunity to learn about them,” Maryott wrote in his letter inviting Levin to debate. “We owe it to the residents of the 49th congressional district to begin holding debates this fall.”

Maryott asked to hold four debates, one in each of the regions—north, coastal, inland and southern—of the 49th Congressional District, which encompasses North San Diego County and the South Orange County cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Mayor Brian Maryott addresses the community members who came out to the city’s workshop on the Northwest Open Space on Wednesday, June 5. Photo Shawn Raymundo
Mayor Brian Maryott addresses the community members who came out to the city’s workshop on the Northwest Open Space on Wednesday, June 5. Photo Shawn Raymundo

Noting that that General Election in November 2020 is more than 16 months away, Levin is opting to wait until the spring, when, he told The Capistrano Dispatch, he “will debate whomever emerges as the challenger after the March Primary.”

“It is wildly premature for candidates to be prejudging what voters may choose to do in March,” he said in an email, after citing California law, which allows the top two candidates from the Primary—regardless of party affiliation—to face off for the congressional seat in November.

Based on the most recent campaign contribution disclosures with the Federal Election Commission, Levin and Maryott, both San Juan residents, are poised to go head-to-head in the General Elections. As of June 30, there’s been no Democratic challenger, but two other GOP candidates who have filed Statements of Candidacy—Mara Fortin and Steven Craig Knoblock—don’t have any money in their war chests.

Shortly after announcing her congressional bid this past June, Fortin had raised $19,970. However, according to her campaign’s FEC filings, Fortin, who owns several Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises in San Diego, has returned her donors’ contributions.

“It is wildly premature for candidates to be prejudging what voters may choose to do in March.” – Rep. Mike Levin.

Knoblock, an attorney from San Clemente, doesn’t have any contributions or expenditures recorded, according to his FEC filings,

The Dispatch’s requests for comment to both Fortin and Knoblock were not immediately returned as of press time.

In a press release from his campaign Tuesday, Maryott called out Levin for refusing to debate ahead of the March 3 Primaries.

“Frankly, I find it extremely disappointing that our congressman rejected the opportunity for voters to learn more about our differing ideas for the future of our district and country,” Maryott said in the release, which referred to Levin as a “rookie congressman.” “Our neighbors should have every opportunity to make an informed decision on their preferred candidate before going to cast their ballots, and Rep. Levin is denying them that chance.”

Since launching his campaign to unseat Levin this past spring, Maryott has criticized the freshman congressman’s support and introduction of legislation that the San Juan mayor believes to be too extreme for the county.

One example of an extreme measure Maryott has pointed to has been Levin’s backing of the Green New Deal, a resolution from fellow House Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to encourage the U.S. government to take action against climate change.

“Frankly, I find it extremely disappointing that our congressman rejected the opportunity for voters to learn more about our differing ideas for the future of our district and country.” – Mayor Brian Maryott

The House seat for the 49th District had long been held by nine-term Republican Congressman Darrell Issa who had announced his decision to not seek reelection in January 2018. Issa’s departure made the district a key battleground race in the 2018 elections as Democrats were hoping to ride their “blue wave” to Capitol Hill by retaking control from the GOP.

Republican candidates were able to hold back that wave in the 2018 Senate races and maintain the majority, but the House was overtaken by Democrats, many of whom were first-time candidates such as Levin and Ocasio-Cortez.

Maryott had sought the congressional seat in 2018 before losing to fellow Republican candidate Diane Harkey in last year’s Primary Elections. Harkey went on to lose the race against Levin this past November, receiving only 43.6% of the vote.

 

SR_1Shawn Raymundo
Shawn Raymundo is the city editor for The Capistrano Dispatch. He graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies. Before joining Picket Fence Media, he worked as the government accountability reporter for the Pacific Daily News in the U.S. territory of Guam. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnzyTsunami and follow The Dispatch @CapoDispatch.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: 2020 Elections2020 Primary Election49th Concgressional Districtbrian maryottDemocratDemocratic Party of Orange CountyDiane HarkeyFeaturedFederal Election CommissionGeneral ElectionGOPMara Fortinmike levinNothing Bundt CakesOCGOPOrange CountyPrimary ElectionRepublicanRepublican Party of Orange CountySan Juan CapistranoSteven Craig Knoblock
ShareTweetPin

Capo Dispatch

Related Posts

GALLERY: San Juan Hills Class of 2023 Celebrates Graduation

GALLERY: San Juan Hills Class of 2023 Celebrates Graduation

June 2, 2023
Eat My Words: Restaurants Unveil New Menu Items and Encore Favorites

Eat my Words: Make Breakfast a Mini Vacation

June 2, 2023
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Cowboy

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Cowboy

June 2, 2023
Publisher’s Letter: A Perfect 10

Publisher’s Letter: A Perfect 10

June 2, 2023
Next Post

Former CUSD Foundation Director Charged with Embezzlement

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

The Dispatch Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get The Dispatch delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Current Issue
  • Contact Us
  • San Clemente Times
  • Dana Point Times
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.