By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview, originally aired on KNSJ radio, by clicking the audio link, or scroll down for highlights.

April 27, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Gloria Chadwick is a registered nurse who has worked in the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital. She's been elected to serve five terms on the Grossmont Healthcare District Board.  The first woman elected nearly 20 years ago, she's currently Vice President of the healthcare district serving East County. 

At a town hall meeting held by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), she announced plans to challenge him for  his seat – and passed out a pill bottle with her remedy to fix Congress:  “restoring integrity, providing affordable healthcare, creating more jobs, and protecting Medicare and the rights of Veterans.”

Voters couldn’t ask for a greater contrast.  Hunter, at his town hall, said he doesn’t believe healthcare is a right, but merely believes in “access” for those with the ability to pay for it. Chadwick describes herself as a “nurse warrior” who has been a fierce advocate for her patients – and now wants to do battle for constituents across the 50^th Congressional District.  In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine aired on KNSJ, she shared her vision for reforming healthcare, strengthening services for veterans and military families, and protecting a clean, healthy environment.

Photo:  top left to right:  Ammar Campa-Najjar, Patrick Malloy, Hannah Gbeh, Josh Butner, Gloria Chadwick, Glenn Jensen, Pierre “Pete” Beauregard

By Miriam Raftery

View our videos and post your comments!  Which candidate(s) are strongest and why?  Which might you be most apt to consider voting for, and why?

Part 1: https://youtu.be/pOOQxhTDj5Q

Part 2:  https://youtu.be/kk4H7dNWTPQ

April 21, 2017 (San Diego’s East County)—Seven Democratic candidates running  for the seat currently held by Republican Duncan Hunter participated in a lively forum last night hosted by the East County Democratic Club.   After opening statements, by each candidate they fielded questions on women’s rights,  healthcare, public education, protecting minorities, digital privacy, as well as their backgrounds, financing and organizing strengths. Many other issues were also addressed by this diverse and articulate array of candidates seeking to represent the 50th Congressional district.

The field includes a former Navy Seal, a farmer, a nurse, an ex-Navy medic, rural planning board members,   a Hispanic and Arab-American activist in the Obama administration, a realtor, a computer data expert, an environmnetalist, and more -- with several candidates having background in multiple fields.

Watch for our detailed analysis of the forum coming later. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Tweet sent by ex-Bush White House lawyer Richard Painter, showing all-male White Hosue meeting at which vital healthcare benefits for women were stripped from the bill.  Painter says the bill made "Trumpcare even worse."  But Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) says it will "save America."

March 24, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Trump has demanded that the House of Representatives hold an up-or-down vote today on Republican’s American Health Care Act , stating that if it does not pass, the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) will remain in place and he will move on to other priorities such as trade reforms.

Lacking enough votes for passage,  Republicans held a closed-door meeting last night on a hastily-revised version of their original plan to woo conservatives with changes such as taking away healthcare coverage for pregnant women and repealing new taxes sooner. The new version  is still estimated to result in 24 million people losing healthcare, but would reduce the deficit by only $150 billion, not the $337 billion in the original bill, according to a revised Congressional Budget Office report.

Healthcare  amendments added to woo the most conservative members of Congress all weaken existing protections.  According to a Washington Post story those stories include:

By Barbara Cummings, El Cajon

By Miriam Raftery

March 10, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Terry Francke, General Counsel for Californians Aware (CALAWARE),  a nonprofit protecting citizens rights to open government, has informed East County Magazine that Congressmen Darrell Issa ‘s plan to ban citizens from videotaping his town hall meetings this Saturday is unconstitutional.

 By contast,  Rep. Duncan Hunter, who also has a town hall this weekend in Ramona, will allow videotaping by constituents, ECM has confirmed. Both Issa and Hunter are Republicans. 

By Miriam Raftery

February 11, 2017 (San Diego) -- On Thursday,  San Diego Congressman Duncan Hunter issued a press release announced that for Fiscal Year 2018, he will not submit any federal appropriations requests on behalf of states, cities, universities or other entities that have an ordinance, policy or practice in place that undermines the enforcement of federal immigration laws.  

By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2017 (El Cajon) – A protest outside the El Cajon office of Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) today drew about 50 to 60 constituents, undaunted by rainy weather.

Several met with Hunter’s staff inside while others rallied on the street outside.

Hunter opponent Patrick Malloy claims use of campaign funds for personal expenses was “corruption”

By Miriam Raftery

November 4, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) announced yesterday that he will repay nearly $49,000 in personal or unauthorized expenses charged to his campaign, the Riverside Press Enterprise reports.  The action comes months after revelations that Hunter charged up large sums for an Italian vacation with his family last Thanksgiving, as well as money paid to his children’s private school, a Hawaiian resort, an oral surgeon, as well as and purchases of jewelry, groceries, video games and more.

By Miriam Raftery

May 24,2016 (San Diego) – Patrick Malloy is the endorsed Democratic candidate challenging  Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in the 50^th Congressional District.  A realtor running on a platform of “reigniting the American Dream,” he sat down for an exclusive, in-depth interview with the East County Magazine Show originally aired on KNSJ Radio. 

You can hear the full interview by clicking the audio links at the bottom of our story for part 1 and part 2 (sound files may take a few moments to load.)  You can also scroll down to read highlights of his proposals for creating jobs in the district and rebuilding the middle class and helping small businesses, as well as his views on the Middle East, refugees, immigration and other hot topics.

East County News Service

"The real question — how could he have acknowledged the errors in his campaign disclosures, but not immediately rectified them by paying back the money, thus in essence going several months without addressing violations of the law?" -- Eric Anderson, San Diego Republican Central Committee member

“This adolescent behavior is unbecoming for a member of the House of Representatives,” – Patrick Malloy, Democratic candidate for the 50^th Congressional seat

April 12, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) is investigating a series of campaign expenditures claimed by Republican Congressman Duncan D. Hunter that appear to violate federal campaign laws.

By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed an amendment that would impose a federal ban on vaping or e-cigarettes on all airlines in the U.S..  Congressman Duncan Hunter, who took over $10,000 in tobacco industry campaign contributions this election cycle, opposed the amendment–even lighting up during the hearing and puffing a cloud of vapor to make his point.

Indication of Growing Winemaking in San Diego County

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2016 (Ramona)  – Three award-winning Ramona Valley winemakers were presented recognition certificates from Representative Duncan Hunter at the monthly meeting of the Ramona Valley Vineyards Association (RVVA) on Tuesday, January 26th as an indication of the quality and growth of the  winemaking industry in San Diego County. Duncan Hunter has represented San Diego County in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven years and is co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus.

By Miriam Raftery

December 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – An omnibus appropriations bill passed the House earlier this month on a 316 to 133 vote, avoiding a government shutdown.  The measure was passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama.  Among local representatives, only Republican Duncan Hunter voted no.  Democrats Susan Davis, Juan Vargas and Scott Peters joined with Republican Darrell Issa in voting yes.

“Many San Diego priorities focusing on the middle class are included in this bipartisan omnibus spending bill,” says Congresswoman Davis. “While not perfect by any means, this bill has critical investments for medical research, innovation, education, infrastructure, and supports many jobs in our region.”

The Omnibus Appropriations bill includes:

Re-vote expected early this week

Photo:  Potential  Trans-Pacific Partnership members, by en:User:Japinderum, en:User:Phospheros en:User:Orser67

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2015 (San Diego) – The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal has stalled in the House of Representatives, after one of two measures needed for passage failed to win enough votes. Opposition came from both left and right, with even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) joining with conservative Duncan Hunter in standing up against President Obama to help defeat the proposal. 

There were two bills—and both needed to pass in order for the TPP to move forward. But Speaker John Boehner has called for another vote early this week on the failed portion of the proposal.

By Miriam Raftery

November 5, 2014 (San Diego) -- Nationally, Republicans have won control of the Senate and increased their margin of dominnance in the House of Representatives. One of those gains appears to have occurred in San Diego's 52nd Congressional District.

With all votes tallied except several thousand provisional ballots, former Councilman Carl DeMaio, a Republican, has just 752 votes more than Democratic incumbent Scott Peters, up by 50.26% to 49.74%.  It is not yet known whether Peters will request a recount, which is his right under the law with such a narrow margin. 

In other local races, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter captured 71.55% of the vote over challenger James Kimber, a physician assistant in the 50th Congressional District.  In the 51st District, Democratic Congressman Juan Vargas scored a solid victory with 68% of the vote over his opponent, Stephen Meade. 

Two other races were somewhat closer. Congresswoman Susan Davis, a Democrat, fought off a challenge from ex-Navy Seal Larry Wilske, a Republican. Davis won with 57.88% of the vote in the 53rd District; Wilskie picked up  42.12%. Congresman Darrell Issa, a Republican who has drawn national media scrutiny as chair of the House Oversight Committee held his seat with 57.97% of the vote over Democratic challenger Dave Peiser, who receivecd 42.03%.