Sara Jacobs and Bill Wells are campaigning to represent the residents of El Cajon, Kensington, Mira Mesa and other neighborhoods, reports NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes.
California's 51st Congressional District includes a large stretch of central and east San Diego County.
After Tuesday night's intense debate at Temple Emanu-El, incumbent Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, had high spirits about a potential third term.
Decision 2024:
“I'm really proud that in my first two terms in Congress, I've found ways to get things done for our community, even amidst all of the chaos and craziness,” Jacobs said.
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Her top three priorities this time would be living costs, women’s reproductive rights and childcare costs.
“It's a real problem, but it is not the number one problem,” Bill Wells, Republican mayor of El Cajon and Jacobs' opponent, said.
To him, a more important issue than women’s reproductive rights and childcare costs is the border crisis.
“She said that every single person that comes across that border has been well-vetted,” Wells said about Jacobs after the debate. “That's just an absolute lie … We have no idea what people's history is as far as the health issues, as far as economic issues, as far as criminal issues. We're just letting people in, and she seems to be perfectly fine with that.”
Jacobs responded by saying she has worked hard to make sure that there's "an orderly and humane process at our border."
“It's absolutely untrue that we have an open border or that I would support that,” Jacobs said.
Homelessness was another tense subject.
“We’re seeing that homelessness is not caused by housing,” Wells said. “As a doctor in psychology, having worked in emergency rooms doing psychiatric evaluation, I can tell you that almost 95% of the people that are homeless have drug and alcohol addictions.”
Jacobs disagrees with Wells.
“Many studies have been done, including a recent study by the University of California that has shown very clearly that the number one reason for people experiencing homelessness is lack of income,” she said. “And often what you hear from people who experience homelessness is that it's an unforeseen expense, a lost job, their rent going up, and they can't afford it.”
She said Wells taking her seat in Congress would mean more leverage for Republicans, and, in turn, more stalled policy.
“We've seen the Republican majority in Congress these past two years been simply unable to govern and unable to actually do anything to solve the biggest problems that are facing our country,” Jacobs said. “I've got a history of good leadership that doesn't just happen. That's just who I am, and I'll take the same values and bring them to Congress.”
Early voting runs through Nov. 4. For ballot drop box locations near you, click here.
