CA-49: New Candidate Emerges

San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar (R-Encinitas) will reportedly enter the open 49th District seat from which Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) is retiring.  Ms. Gaspar became the first challenger to win a Supervisor’s seat in this county for the past 32 years.  Her 3rd Supervisorial District captures all of the San Diego County coastal regions consistent with the 49th CD.  Prior to her election to county office, Ms. Gaspar was both the mayor and a city councilmember for the city of Encinitas. 
 
Supervisorial Districts in San Diego County cover more than 660,000 people, so they are only slightly smaller than a congressional district.  Therefore, Ms. Gaspar figures to become a major candidate.  In now an open seat contest, the race has attracted five Republicans, four Democrats, including 2016 Democratic general election participant Doug Applegate who attracted 49.7% of the vote, and one Independent all vying for one of the two finishing positions that qualifies a candidate for advancement into the general election.  The race is rated a toss-up.

--Jim Ellis