One of the less predictable House races in Orange County is happening in the 49th District, where five Republicans and one Democrat are challenging two-term Democratic incumbent Mike Levin.
Levin is widely expected to advance out of the June 7 primary in a district that covers coastal portions of south Orange County and north San Diego County. And since only the top two candidates in the primary advance to the decisive November general election, there’s a heated battle between Levin’s six challengers to see who else makes it through.
The tightest contest for that second slot is between three Republicans who’ve won office before: Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett of Dana Point, former San Juan Capistrano Councilman Brian Maryott and Oceanside Councilman Christopher Rodriguez.
Three other challengers hope their status as political newcomers might work in their favor: Republican Josiah O’Neil, a San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy who lives in Murrieta; Democrat Nadia Bahia Smalley, a private nurse from Carlsbad; and cybersecurity expert Renee Taylor, a Republican from San Juan Capistrano.
Levin is narrowly favored to win in November. Boundaries of CA-49 didn’t change substantially during recent redistricting, meaning it’s largely the same group of voters who twice (in 2018 and 2020) sent Levin to the House. Registration now favors Democrats by about 2.5 points, up from a 1 point Democratic advantage in 2020.
While Levin hasn’t landed the same level of national attention as some other O.C. representatives, he’s scored solid wins for the military community in a district that straddles Camp Pendleton. He counts the 18 bills he’s introduced that have been made into law to “strengthen benefits and services for veterans” as his proudest accomplishment in Congress so far.
Levin also has focused on climate change and the environment, including proposals to remove nuclear waste from San Onofre, fight coastal erosion and end offshore oil drilling, with some related legislation on the table and some funding secured for these projects.
In terms of ideology, Levin ranked himself a four on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being far left.
Smalley, the only other Democrat in the race, gave herself a one on that scale. Taylor gave herself a six and O’Neil a seven, while Bartlett and Rodriguez declined to rate themselves and Maryott didn’t respond.
While Levin has the advantage of incumbency, Republican challengers in the still-purple district could benefit from a pattern in which the party that doesn’t hold the White House does well in midterm elections — a pattern that might be exacerbated this year because President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are low and there is no high-profile statewide office on the ballot.
Those conditions clearly have Maryott, 59, hoping the third time might be the charm. The former financial planner first ran for CA-49 in 2018, finishing eighth in the primary. He was Levin’s only challenger in 2020, losing that November by 6.2 points. This time around, he earned official endorsements from the state and local branches of GOP, which gives him an edge over his fellow Republicans.
Maryott was the only candidate in the CA-49 race who didn’t respond to any of the Register’s questions about his positions on key issues. But he’s a former Democrat who’s previously promised to try to “bring the temperature down” on contentious partisan politics. He’s running this year on a platform of fighting for border security, supporting school choice and more funding for police.
Bartlett sparred with Maryott over the job title that he’ll use on the June 7 ballot. He’s now listed as a “businessman/nonprofit executive,” with his campaign citing his work as an investor and with an unnamed nonprofit. Bartlett is listed as a “county supervisor/businesswoman,” as a real estate firm owner who’s involved in a startup that makes party cups people can write on.
Bartlett, 62, worked for 16 years as a corporate executive for an international computer software firm. She was elected to the Dana Point City Council in 2006 and served until 2014, when she was elected as Fifth District county supervisor.
If elected, she touts plans to try to control government spending, oppose tax hikes, limit regulations and improve coastal resiliency. Bartlett is endorsed by radio talk show host and recent gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder.
As for how she’d measure her success in office, she said: “As a businesswoman, I measure success by one thing – results. One of the big problems with government is that too often it’s measured by reelection.”
The other challenger with political experience and some name recognition is Rodriguez, who has been on the Oceanside City Council since 2018 and is on the board for his local chamber of commerce. Rodriguez, 37, served two combat tours in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. He’s now CEO of a real estate firm and owner of Rodriguez Family Farms, which grows fruit and coffee.
Rodriguez’s campaign is focused on “an America First foreign policy agenda,” being tough on crime, addressing homelessness, and limiting taxes and spending. He didn’t respond to a question about about how he’d measure his success in office.
Rodriguez does have an advantage in being the only GOP candidate to live in San Diego County, where nearly two thirds of the district’s voters live. However, while the Orange County portion of CA-49 is solidly red, the San Diego County portion has nearly 28,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.
O’Neil also has strong San Diego County ties as a local deputy sheriff, though he lives in the Riverside County city of Murrieta.
O’Neil, 36, grew up in South America as the son of Christian missionaries. He joined the Army at 17 and served as a combat medic.
Since leaving the Army in 2007, O’Neil has worked in law enforcement. He said he’s “fed up with the lawlessness on our streets,” with promises to be tough on crime if elected. The father of three also wants to lower gas prices, “address runaway inflation,” lower taxes and support funding for law enforcement and military.
The final Republican in the CA-49 race is Taylor, an Air Force veteran who now works in cybersecurity. Taylor, 52, has never run for office before, but touts a resume that includes a stint as a California Air National Guard Ambassador on cyber defense to Ukraine, being a former member of the O.C. Veteran’s Advisory Council, and co-founding a nonprofit dedicated to aging women affected by cancer.
Taylor said she’d measure her success in office based on both tangible and intangible results, including “introducing and passing legislation, and resolving constituent concerns” while helping residents feel safe and self-actualized.
As the only Democrat challenging Levin, Smalley rates herself to the left of Levin, though she also called herself “conservative” and supports policies such as stricter access to voting.
Smalley is a hospice nurse who’s been a political activist since 1993. She ran for governor in 2010 and for president in 2020. She’s promoting plans to prioritize funding to tackle homelessness and discuss rent control while supporting legal marijuana, gay youth and solar projects.
Levin and Smalley both said they support expanding the Affordable Care Act, while Taylor said it should be scaled back and O’Neil said it should be repealed. Bartlett, Rodriguez and Maryott didn’t answer the question.
If a question about the legality of gay marriage should ever came before Congress, Levin, Smalley and Bartlett said they’d support it, while O’Neil and Taylor said they’d oppose it.
Elections officials will begin mailing ballots to all registered voters May 9. Centers will open for in-person voting starting May 28. Visit OCVote.gov to learn more.
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