View video of full interview,  hear audio,  or scroll down for highlights

East County News Service

November 2, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – Stephen Houlahan is a former Santee City Councilman and registered nurse who led successful effforts to block a dangerous liquified natural gas pipeline through the 48^th Congressional district that he is now running to represent.  That seat is currently occupied by Rep. Darrell Issa. The contrast is dramatic—and Houlahan says he’s running to restore freedoms, protect our democracy, and bring home federal dollars to underground power lines that have sparked wildfires and caused insurance rates to skyrocket.

The contrast couldn’t be more clear.

• Issa voted against certifying the 2020 election results and opposed efforts to investigate the Capitol insurrection.  Houlahan says a peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of democracy, and has won endorsement from National Security Leaders of America, a bipartisan group of retired military leaders and cabinet officers.
• Issa is coauthor of a bill to outlaw abortion nationwide, with no exceptions even to save a mother’s life.  Houlahan wants to restore women’s reproductive freedoms taken away when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
• Issa voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Houlahan wants to fight to bring home infrastructure dollars to improve storm drainage infrastructure, repair the dangerous El Capitan dam, and improve fire safety.
• Issa has opposed clean energy investment.  Houlahan  backs rebuilding the energy grid, including undergrounding power lines to protect our backcountry.
• Issa voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Houlahan wants to protect it and expand Medicare to cover those 55 and up, also adding a MediKids program to cover 4 million uninsured children.
• Issa, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, has been accused of corruption including most recently failing to timely report hundreds of thousands of dollars in treasury bonds, a potential violation of the Stock Act.  Houlahan says he will stand against corruption and for transparency, calling for tougher penalties on insider trading by members of Congress and a need for honest leadership.

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine also aired on KNSJ radio,  Houlahan also shared his views on the economy and inflation, immigration and border security NATO, the Israel-Gaza conflict,  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more.

By Michael Howard

February 7, 2024 (San Diego, CA) - The 2024 California March Primaries ballot are in the mailboxes of many voters, including the residents of the 48th Congressional District, where the Republican incumbent Darrell Issa is vying for his second term.

Issa has been in San Diego politics since 1998 when he ran for the U.S. Senate and lost to Matt Fong during the primaries. In 2000, he won the District 49 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and has also served in the same capacity for districts 48 and 50 in the ensuing years.

As the incumbent for District 48, Issa votes primarily along conservative lines, achieving a minimum of 82% or higher with most conservative political organizations such as the American Conservative Union, Christian Action Network, and Heritage Action for America. Conversely, his votes received zero to only 13% ratings with liberal organizations such as Americans for Democratic Action, Freedom Democrats, and Radical Middle. 

Issa faces five candidates across the political spectrum this election, including four Democrats and a no-party-preference candidate. Three of the five are candidates he beat in the 2022 election for his current seat, the other two are first-time contenders. The top two in the March 5 primary will advance to a November runoff race.

Stephen Houlahan (D) was the closest contender in 2022, whom Issa beat in the general election by a 20% margin. Matthew Rascon (D) lost to Issa during the primaries with 9.1% of the votes along with the no-party-preference candidate Lucinda KWH Jahn with only 1.6% of the votes. Two new contenders this year are Mike Simon (D) and Whitney Shanahan (D).

Photo:  The four candidates who participated in our questionnaire; top left to lower right, Democrats Stephen Houlahan,Mike Simonand Whiney Shanahan, and decline-to-state party candidates Lucinda KWH Jahn.

East County Magazine reached out to all candidates asking them to answer questions about the economy, immigration, healthcare, democracy, the Israel-Hammas and Russia-Ukraine wars, social security, and more. Four of the six candidates submitted their answers, which we have included in this article. Phone calls and emails to Congressman Issa and Matthew Rascon were not successful in obtaining answers to these questions. 

Here are the questions and answers from the candidates: