A local race is getting national attention, pitting two military veterans against each other: Republican incumbent Darrell Issa and Democratic challenger Doug Applegate.
It's hard to find a battle tighter than the one for California’s 49th Congressional District, which is also home to a U.S. Marine base.
For the first time, the Democratic party believes think the district could fall into blue territory, causing a frenzy to get out the vote.
Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the Senate paid a visit to San Diego on the eve of Election Day with Doug Applegate.
“We are on the verge of having the ability from California to send a Colonel and a General to Washington D.C.," she said, addressing a rally at the University of California, San Diego on Monday.
“Look I'm no hero, but I stood next to heroes I've stood next to courage and what they were out there doing was fighting for those who couldn't,” she told the crowd.
While Issa has attacked Applegate, questioning his temperament in campaign ads, the democratic party has also flooded $2 million to do the same.
Issa called it personal.
“Because this race is basically President Obama's revenge race," he said. "He came here deliberately to try and talk about what he called chutzpah, trying to hold him accountable.”
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Issa is even calling his bus tour leading up the the election, the “Darrell has Chutzpah” Tour.
Although an endorsement of Issa by former Marine Corps Commandant James Amos has caused controversy, he is not the first former high ranking member of the military to give his opinion during this race.
Issa says he's proud of his support of the military.
Jim Ciancimino, a Marine veteran and a small business owner told NBC 7 that he like Applegate’s ads and feels that Issa will help him keep his small business viable.
“I had a problem with the VA and I went to the Congressman Issa's office and I was treated extremely well,” Ciancimino said.
While the 49th Congressional District is home to many veterans, it is also home to a growing number of Latino voters.
Many who say they are turned off by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whom Issa has endorsed.
“I'm not walking away from Donald Trump he's the nominee the party," Issa said.
Something that the Marine Veteran -- Applegate has hit Issa hard on, saying there is a lot at stake in this election, “I think it's real clear everybody knows why it's because of the racism, bigotry, and misogyny of Donald Trump it's no secret we need to change course.”
On Election Day, both Issa and Applegate planned to speak with voters in Oceanside – Issa at his campaign office on Vista Way and Applegate at the Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside.
They both worked hard to connect with voters.
“We got the word out of why, after 16 years of accomplishment, I have a lot left to do,” said Issa on Election Day. “Hopefully we’ll get two more years to do it.”
“I’ve got 30 years of experience in the Marine Corps reserve and active and we problem solve. We accomplish the mission; we seize and control the objective, and we fix things,” Applegate said.
