Who can beat Rep. Darrell Issa in CA48? Three Democratic rivals step up to plate

Democratic candidates in CA race from left are Albert Mora Curtis Morrison and Whitney Shanahan Times of San Diego photo illustration Hope springs eternal for Democrats in California s th Congressional District at least the three seeking to oust incumbent Rep Darrell Issa Though the June primary is days away three challengers have already emerged in the heavily Republican East County district Albert Mora who filed Feb Curtis Morrison April and Whitney Shanahan April Times of San Diego sent questionnaires to all three Shanahan third of six in the same district s March primary didn t return hers despite multiple requests Here s what I learned Mora Carlsbad resident Albert James Mora is a first-time candidate for elective office who retired from funding banking in Since then he s worked in assets guidance consulting and recruiting I ve been treasurer of the Encinitas Historical Society since says Mora born and raised in the Chicago suburb of East Chicago Indiana He moved his family from Chicagoland to Orange County in and then to Carlsbad in where he still lives If my candidacy gains inertia I ll likely move to the th District he stated Congress candidates need only live in the state the district is in Mora holds a bachelor s degree in business administration from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Single after two marriages he says he has a loving relationship with his five children and three grandchildren His recreation I love binge-studying and conversing about a broad range of topics he says I m a lifetime fitness enthusiast I love classic Hollywood movies and Chicago sports teams though I m too busy to watch much I love music Required if anyone encouraged him to run he announced efforts started early My parents raised me saying I would grow up to be president of the United States Through my life acquaintances friends teachers and business associates have suggested that I enter politics he reported via email After the polling friends encouraged me to run I spoke with my children about it and they were highly supportive Starting in early February I began announcing that I was considering running at th District Democratic club meetings I received warm sponsorship each time so I registered with the FEC and opened my website Morrison Owns law firm Curtis Lee Morrison is a fellow Hoosier born and raised in southern Indiana He holds a political science B A from the University of Louisville and earned his law degree from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa An immigration attorney the Fallbrook resident is sole owner of Red Eagle Law a firm with offices in Bonsall Orange County Texas and Washington D C I ve filed several hundred lawsuits in federal court representing several thousandsof immigrants as plaintiffs challenging unlawful U S regime immigration policies or unreasonable delays he says Thousands of immigrants have been able to legally immigrate to the U S because of injunctive relief my group obtained from multiple federal judges in lawsuits where we challenged unlawful immigration policies that Trump put into effect during his first term In Morrison challenged fellow Democrat Denise Harper Angel for her seat in the Kentucky State Senate losing to I learned lots of valuable lessons from that race he disclosed Like don t run against an incumbent with the last name Angel He also was a field organizer on campaigns including a mayoral race and CREDO super PAC in Iowa as well as volunteering on multiple campaigns for candidates I believe in Read Unedited responses from candidate Albert Mora PDF Read Unedited responses from candidate Curtis Morrison PDF Before becoming an immigration lawyer he worked for two years with Oregon-based Our Children s Trust supporting litigation in a high-profile context change lawsuit Juliana v U S My focus was primarily factual research and informal discovery showing when the U S executive knew about the dangers of weather change but also legal research on specific issues Morrison mentioned He also helped with messaging communications press relations and social media work featured in the Netflix documentary Youth v Gov His first career as a Realtor lasted years specializing in helping first-timehomebuyers achieve home ownership In the module of that time I sold over homes In he was arrested in front of the White House protesting the Keystone XL pipeline the fossil fuel project abandoned in Morrison says he s been happily married to his husband Rodolfo for years this August Shanahan Pro-choice activist Whitney Shanahan operational in the fight for abortion rights through her group Pro Choice With Heart says on her website that she was disgusted and outraged by the rise of Donald Trump in and the actions of MAGA extremists to roll back the clock on reproductive healthcare and attack the fundamental freedoms of all Americans On social media Shanahan also says I m a witch She sells related merchandise on her witchlifeco com website She has followers on TikTok and posts a Pro Choice Podcast View this post on Instagram A post shared by Whitney Shanahan prochoicewithheart After deconstructing from Christianity she says on her site I went on a journey for a new spiritual practice I knew I requested something based on nature and centering women As a child she lost her brother to gun violence and in communicated The San Diego Union-Tribune Now as a parent gun violence is the No cause of death of children in the U S It absolutely shouldn t be this way and doesn t have to be this way Passing rule to prevent gun violence is personal to me and I ll fight like hell to stop this unnecessary loss of life View this post on Instagram A post shared by Whitney Shanahan prochoicewithheart Mora and Morrison recognize that Issa serves a vast district reaching into Riverside County that is Republican Democratic and who decline to state a party preference Also that Issa is rich one of the wealthiest in Congress from his car-alarm company and real-estate investments His campaign has million cash on hand according to the Federal Voting Commission These email interviews have been lightly edited TIMES OF SAN DIEGO Why are you running for Congress Main issues Main opportunities ALBERT MORA Given the Trump administration s near-certain continuation of concentrating power in him and destructive decision-making reducing House Republicans by one member and increasing House Democrats by one member creates the opportunity to save our Constitution and rule of law with direct repercussions around the globe We have the opportunity to get in balance by combining solutions drawn from across the political spectrum Examples Strictly and humanely secure the dividing line and give immigrants a path to legalization Sponsorship free markets and regulate smartly Make the U S federal regime efficient nonpartisan and prestigious Keep church and state independent and thereby synergizing Protect the atmosphere with a thriving smart force industry Partner with U S AI leaders to retain American leadership and devise effective regulation Keep tariffs to a minimum and employ them selectively for national safety Design social programs to incentivize weaning Map of California s th Congressional District Similarly rebuild and redouble USAID s work serving communities and making them self-sufficient Assistance LGBTQ and have biological males compete with biological males Motivate Europe to take ownership of and derive honor from its military safety and join them in endorsement of Ukraine Move in phases toward a single-payer healthcare system akin to the best peer countries Remove Super PACs and regulate PACs attentively so they can help grassroots candidates Keep America s military omnipresent motivated and lean Balance DEI with meritocracy Resume unfettered exchange with China while reducing American dependence on their strategic military products and materials Ensure the future of Social Defense Medicaid and Medicare Keep the central bank independent Allow elected authorities to earn money from only their political salaries and passive income Make Social Prevention and Medicaid permanently sustainable Invest in learning do not cancel novice loans balance DEI with merit CURTIS MORRISON Under Trump the federal authorities has been weaponized against the preponderance vulnerable providing the best outcomes only for the rich and leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves I believe Congress should serve as a check and balance on the executive branch That s especially pivotal when the president is a grifter Yet that s not happening with our current representation The people of this district deserve better What requirements of CA majority of need addressing How would you help to fulfill these requirements MORA The th District s context diversity military constituency Native American constituency Spanish-speaking locality economic demographic and international dividing line call for focus on key issues including water infrastructure fire mitigation boundary protection immigration improvement veterans services expenditure in schooling economic improvement affordable and available housing and healthcare and strengthened civic engagement I will get informed make contacts prioritize communicate partner and bring tools from local to federal to bear on the district s numerous opportunities I will know my constituents I have long enjoyed the th District s attractions including Borrego Springs respite from winter chills Murrieta and Temecula s horse custom urban westward towns thriving wineries along the California Safari Park Julian s legendary apple pies and numerous mountain hiking trails The past three months I have enjoyed walking across the district introducing myself shaking hands and hearing constituents out They are generally engaged and eager to share A large number of conversations follow similar themes Democratic constituents range from feeling ignored and neglected to overt anger toward Darrell Issa Republicans have been somewhat sharp when I tell them I m a Democrat but when I sit back and let them voice then take my turn they have consistently listened respectfully Selected have expressed that I struck them as sensible and yes a limited reported they d seriously consider voting for me I had a memorable conversation with a Republican voter who lives in Julian as she texted her husband about her increasing concern over the Trump administration s unpredictability When her husband texted pro-Trump answers she wasn t reassured At the same time she shared that she was feeling intimidated by increasing peer pressure from Democratic friends and family What a conundrum When I recounted her I respected her right to vote as she saw fit her fearful expression gave way to a glimmer of hope and she thanked me warmly When a gay person shared a citizens humiliation dealt personally by Darrell Issa we hugged I ve also introduced myself to a dozen th District Democratic clubs Club leaders and members openness to my unifying message have pleasantly surprised me I will meet more constituents along with representatives religious communities social groups leaders and businesses to hear their concerns and ideas assure them of my commitment and try to give them hope MORRISON Immigrant families make up a considerable part of our district and right now these families are terrified They re terrified of Trump s mass deportation plans They re terrified that their families could be arbitrarily torn apart by ICE raids or by being detained and disappeared to an El Salvador prison without due process Chosen are terrified to pay taxes now that the IRS is sharing information with ICE Latest green-card holders and U S citizens are terrified by Trump s threat in January to make his forthcoming excursion ban retroactive Green-card holders H- B workers and foreign students are scared to leave the U S because they fear they will not be allowed re-entry Asylum seekers who fled authoritarian regimes now find themselves scared to be critical of Trump on social media Part of my job is helping immigrant families assess understand and mitigate the risks related to Trump s immigration policies and it s becoming nearly impossible Leadership through chaos and fear is what dictators do and I can t just stand by and let it happen Unlike Issa who rubber-stamps this chaos I ll demand respect for our neighbors and a strict adherence to the rule of law A related issue is the impact of Trump s chaos on the market system With mass deportation scarce people are left around to grow our food and it won t grow itself I m also worried about how Trump s boundary policies deter foreign tourists and the impact that will have on the hospitality industry Just in the Temecula Valley there are people with travel-related hospitality jobs Due to surroundings change and this district s geography another major issue here is wildfire prevention and mitigation Our Fallbrook home has been in the path of two wildfires within the last six months We watched through our windows terrified as they grew In both instances if not for the fantastic full-throttled and coordinated response by firefighters and the lately installed Fallbrook heli-hydrant and wind gusts slowing up at the perfect time our lives and the lives of our neighbors could have been very different than they are now Those deluding themselves into believing wildfire prevention and mitigation is a trouble for local governments only haven t paid attention to Lahaina or Pacific Palisades The federal governing body can be proactive in supporting firefighters funding mitigation and I believe more heli-hydrants in fire-prone areas or a far greater price will be paid later Screenshot How do you plan to displace an entrenched GOP incumbent in a district with Republican registration compared with Democrats and independents MORA Again unify Inspire Democrats and Republicans by presenting sensible sustainable solutions on all fronts Remind voters of America s unique role leading the spread of freedom and democracy since the American Revolution Remind voters of mankind s long hard-won progression from the darkness of autocracy to the light of democracy and freedom Inspire voters to honor those who gave so much for the cause and to keep the American Dream alive for our descendants Inspire increased political participation in particular by the important Mexican-American area Continue a full-court positive press in the face of disunity MORRISON Elections aren t determined by party registrations but by which candidate receives the most of votes I plan to displace Darrell Issa by helping more than enough voters understand not only Issa s failure to hold Trump or DOGE accountable but also his complicit role in helping Trump to evade accountability Remember Issa was the sponsor of the No Rogue Rulings Act That act s goal is to strip the authority of federal judges to determine whether the policies and actions of Trump and DOGE are lawful The rule of law and our court systems should not only be independent when they serve your political interests they should also be independent under all circumstances Related I plan to help people understand the relationship between Issa s enabling of Trump s grift and the pain they re seeing in their own lives I m talking about the pain they re seeing in their wallets the pain they re seeing with their own healthcare and the pain they re seeing in their communities How will you finance your campaign Do you expect DCCC or local Democratic Party help How much self-financing will you do MORA I will finance my campaign from campaign contributions If my campaign gains momentum and I gain confidence they would backing me I will strategically reach out to the party I will absolutely need their advocacy My support are limited Issa s are not While we are early in the process I feel urgency toward gaining momentum and reaching out to them At the same time I am binge-learning the job-basics My syllabus includes campaign rules key Democratic and Republican representative and senator bios Cabinet bios structure of the entire federal administration and military including intelligence organizations map of the th District lists of district organizations churches clubs chambers of commerce school boards etc notable Democratic San Diego County leaders commissioners mayors council members etc Then there s tracking daily news saying hi to my kids once a week and getting in certain exercise Oops I m complaining In any matter when I reach out I want to be viable and prepared so I m going to plan and act diligently MORRISON I m going to fundraise A lot I ve spent the majority of my life listening to and talking with people to help them make good decisions This is what I did as a Realtor for years It s what I do every day now as an immigration attorney In the context of this vote lots of people want to see Darrell Issa retired from Congress and I plan to have thousands of conversations about how investing in our campaign will make that happen I m hopeful and optimistic for their sponsorship but also I respect that both of those organizations are in the best position to determine their own priorities I m not going to self-finance Unlike our congressman I m not rich But also unlike our congressman I have the backing of our district to help fund this campaign Having reported that I understand this race will involve important personal financial sacrifice The amount of time and strength I put into this campaign will be time and vigor I don t put into my business How are you better prepared to challenge Mr Issa than your two so far Democratic rivals MORA I am focused on serving the people of the th District by listening learning and giving hope I trust the other Democratic candidates will do so as well and I trust voters to make the best choice MORRISON I know our locality on a personal and deeper level than my opponents Because of the work I ve done I m confident in my ability to raise more money and reach out to dissatisfied folks on both sides of the aisle in a way that neither my Democratic primary opponents or Darrell Issa are able to do Tell about your main campaign staff paid or unpaid manager fundraising event social media person media coordinator MORA To this point I have one person supporting me who is my event manager She is an experienced event organizer multi-functional and highly motivated I am in awe and have deepest gratitude At this moment there are no clearcut names of people I d like to invite or who are offering As my campaign picks up aid and funding I plan to reach out to local Democratic club and public leaders to identify feasible squad members including manager treasurer benefit communications media field coordinator etc I realize my ability to fundraise and build a campaign band are interrelated and will be a critical indicator of my viability so this is possibly the largest part relevant of all your questions MORRISON For now I ve hired Gabriel Alfaro with Ursa Local Strategies as a campaign consultant and Deane Company in Sacramento to handle the campaign bookkeeping and FEC compliance I ve got about a dozen behind-the-scenes unpaid supporters but the largest part valuable at this point are Amir Naderi a friend and former employee of my law firm who is an IT expert my nephew Austin who is a sophomore at Wabash College and of program my husband Rodolfo who fortunately for me likes to drive How will you appeal to decline-to-state voters Will a major independent vote be needed to overcome the GOP advantage MORA I will approach voters across the spectrum similarly as I describe above Given the crucial GOP advantage the math dictates that yes a major independent vote will be needed to win Being a lifelong independent who is trying to pull both sides to the sensible sustainable center I believe my unifying message can strongly appeal to decline-to-states independents libertarians etc MORRISON A lot of people in this district are already being harmed by GOP policies My job will be to help voters to understand that Trump and his biggest cheerleader Issa are responsible for the policies and actions that are causing this harm Not Biden not Hillary Clinton and not Obama Will you seek aid from disaffected Republicans MORA I will seek patronage from all voters so yes MORRISON Of discipline but my first focus will be persuading the thousands of registered Democrats who stayed home in why we need them to show up in But I truly believe that the issues facing our country go beyond partisan labels Republicans and Democrats alike are seeing their futures slipping away and I believe that showing how our congressman is actively harming the American Dream we all aspire to If elected what would be your major priorities in Congress MORA My first priority will be to advocacy the Constitution freedom and the rule of law I will backing every effort by the Democratic Party to make ineffective and if practicable remove a president who is on a path of destruction and manageable self-destruction Being a business professional I think a priority will be to strengthen the Democratic Party s economic bench by working with colleagues and supporting relevant committees including Financial Services Means and Means and Budget Expanding on my business background my assets banking and corporate treasury work involved deep-dive analyses of companies leaders boards products competitors beliefs innovation regulation industry trends economic strategy capital sector conditions business military conflict practices et al I know how the machinery connects I know how the Federal Reserve operates and I understand why an independent Fed is sacrosanct I understand how international pact can forge cooperation between countries with diverse views for decades the best example being the U S and China Economically the majority relevant at this moment I know how tariffs do not work The greater part basic functions of economic plan are to distribute means of production optimally and distribute wealth fairly History has proven and common sense dictates that freer markets enable capitalto flow efficiently to the majority of viable projects allow decisions to be made by the better informed and more skillful parties enable products and services to be provided by parties with better relative information and skills and enable fairer wealth distribution as a development of labor force behavior such as switching jobs emigrating immigrating improving their skills switching careers or pressing for better wages While no economic regime will ever be perfect freer markets offer the best cure Tariffs are a direct blunt impediment to free territory decision-making and activity Tariffs being changed on a whim at any given moment create immeasurable and to a key degree unrecoverable damage I will bring all of my business depth and breadth to bear on the economic conversation in D C l will strengthen the Democratic Party s connection to the Spanish-speaking region My father was born and raised in Mexico immigrated to the U S at age entered Inland Steel married Mom a fourth-generation American and stayed in the U S the rest of his life Dad was eloquent in Spanish and English and Mom was even more eloquently bilingual I speak Spanish like a Mexican rather than like a Mexican-American I connect as naturally with Spanish speakers as I do with David Letterman fans Walking the th District I enjoyed surprising various Spanish speakers who for once had the experience of speaking with an American who communicated perfectly with them in their own language These conversations are continuations of my lifetime enjoyment of this experience In advocacy of my unifying message I will prioritize influencing the Democratic Party to listen to sensible rightward views such as maintaining a secure territory line making all leadership departments lean and efficient not overplaying DEI and LGBTQ and making Europe more accountable for her own measure There is much more I will influence the Right to aid giving due legal process to every person every time to backing environmentalism for love of our unique magnificent planet love of our fellow man and descendants and the opportunity to create millions of high-quality dignified jobs Again there is so much more I will advocate for the United States to return to leadership of the global cause of Democracy and freedom by reconnecting with every one of our allies the greatest public of allies ever known built through two world wars the Cold War and belief in basic human decency I will advocate for the U S inviting Canada Panama Greenland and every other country to partner with us to the full extent of our mutual opportunity while supporting their sovereignty as fully as we encouragement ours MORRISON I believe that we need to not just talk about what we want to do we need to be willing to do it Holding Trump accountable keeping him from wrecking all that works right in our administration and our financial market are top priorities of mine but we also need to look forward Building out an financial sector that works for everyone creating an immigration system that is fair and just and maintaining a justice system that respects the rule of law and upholds due process are top legislative goals of mine If Dems take control in early would you advocacy the impeachment of Donald Trump MORA I realize the implications of this question are complex deep and to a large degree unknowable I take a deep breath as I write I believe the legal patriotic and practical action is to impeach Donald Trump as soon as realizable So yes MORRISON Yes and for so a multitude of reasons Trump has flagrantly ignored the Constitution ignored court orders including from the Supreme Court He s used on-again and off-again tariffs to manipulate markets and make his oligarch insider friends even richer And there s the grift which is so common and expected it s normalized I think the majority people realize his cryptocurrency is just a trendy way for him to accept bribes but no one seems to be probing it I in recent times noticed there s now a widget on the White House website where viewers can share content from the website to Truth Social a social media company owned by Trump If elected would you backing term limits for House members MORA I would consider term limits and possibly an age limit I need to think much more about this essential question so thanks for asking MORRISON Yes I think five terms is enough When politicians hang onto office until it s time for them to be in a nursing home that robs the next generation of their voice and that s just wrong If elected would you pledge to hold regular in-person town halls in the district MORA I would hold them That s an essential part of the job And I flatter myself to believe they ll be enjoyable for all concerned MORRISON Absolutely I m thinking of scheduling them now There s an appetite for town halls and connection within our society People just want a representative who will listen to them It s not so hard Also since the th district is so big I think a sparse different locations are essential Anything else readers should know about your candidacy MORA I am a long-shot rookie candidate with limited tools and name recognition facing other Democratic candidates and if I were to become the Democratic nominee I would face an entrenched Republican with effectively unlimited information in a red district I am also the child of a steel mill crane operator who received a world class learning and had a -year international institutional capital markets career Anything is manageable MORRISON It s not new for me to stand up to powerful Republicans Mitch McConnell once had me investigated by the FBI for secretly recording him and his campaign talking trash about his Democratic challengers Part of Wednesday What do political scientists think about Democratic chances in CA