PETERS, VARGAS LEAD OVER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS
As early voting results rolled in Tuesday night, incumbent Reps. Juan Vargas and Scott Peters, both Democrats, held formidable leads over their Republican opponents in California’s 51st and 52nd congressional districts.
Neither contest was considered competitive by pollsters and election forecasters such as The Cook Political Report, with both districts expected to elect a Democrat.
In the 52nd District — which includes Carmel Valley, La Jolla, Point Loma, downtown San Diego, Poway and Coronado — Peters, 62, of La Jolla, appeared well positioned to win a fifth term in Congress.
Peters led his opponent, Jim DeBello, a 62-year-old Point Loma resident who worked in the technology industry, when the first results were released Tuesday night.
In the 51st District — which includes all of Imperial County, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and El Centro — Vargas, a 59-year-old attorney, also appeared well positioned to defeat his opponent, Juan Hidalgo Jr., 54, a retired Marine Corps sergeant.
Vargas, a four-term incumbent, had a comfortable lead over Hidalgo in San Diego County when the first results were posted Tuesday night. He also led by a large margin in Imperial County.
If elected, Vargas will have beaten Hidalgo for the third consecutive election, having defeated him in 2016 and 2018 with more than 70 percent of the vote.
Both Vargas and Peters soundly defeated their Republican opponents by a large margin in the 2016 and 2018 general elections. Vargas captured 72.8 percent of the vote in the 2016 general election and 71.2 in 2018. Peters beat his challenger with 56.5 percent of the vote in 2016, and 63.8 percent in 2018.
Vargas and Peters both raised far more money than their underdog opponents in the 2020 election cycle.
As of Friday, Peters had raised about $1.8 million, and DeBello had raised about $405,000. Vargas had raised $712,000, and Hidalgo had raised about $52,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Peters has said that if reelected he would focus on defeating COVID-19, rebuilding the economy, social justice and climate change, which he has described as the most pressing existential crisis of our time.
DeBello also has listed COVID-19 and the economy as priorities if elected. He also has said he supports measures to promote clean air and water, but he views some proposed environmental plans as too extreme.
On his government webpage, Vargas described immigration reform as a top issue, along with seeking better environmental protection at the border with Mexico, protecting the legal immigration status of “dreamers,” as well as safeguarding Medicare, Social Security and the Affordable Care Act.
Hidalgo’s campaign website listed jobs, education and public safety as priorities if elected. He has said national security and streng thening border protections are top concerns.