FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 10, 2022 Contact: eric@mikelevin.org
Rep. Mike Levin Responds to CA-49 Primary Results
San Juan Capistrano, CA - U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) released the following statement on the CA-49 primary results: “I am so grateful that the voters of San Diego and Orange counties in the beautiful 49th District have overwhelmingly selected me to advance to the general election for Congress. Serving in Congress, working together with all of the residents of this District to improve our quality of life, has been a profound honor. We have shown how much we can accomplish when we put aside partisan divides, really listen to one another, and work together to solve common problems.” - Mike Levin, United States Representative, CA 49 On June 7, voters of the 49th District made it clear that Mike Levin is their overwhelming choice to represent them in Congress for another term. While many votes remain to be counted, Mike Levin receiving 50% of the vote in a seven candidate race is an extremely strong showing. The combined Democratic vote currently stands at 52.6%, and should increase as additional absentee votes (which trended heavily Democratic) are tabulated. This seat flipping Democratic in 2018 was foretold in the June 2018 primary when the combined Democratic vote was 50.8%. Levin went on to win in the higher turnout November election (also a non-Presidential year, like 2022) by 13%. Finishing a distant second place was Brian Maryott, who despite having been the Republican nominee in 2020, despite spending millions of his own money, and despite having the endorsement of the state Republican Party, received a dismal 18.5% of the vote. Maryott, who also ran in 2018, losing badly in the primary, was seen as such a weak opponent that House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy personally recruited another Republican candidate, Christopher Rodriguez, to try to prevent Maryott from dragging the GOP to defeat once again. Rodriguez finished 4th. The third place candidate, Republican Lisa Bartlett, ran as a moderate anti-MAGA candidate and actually defeated Maryott on his home turf, the Orange County portion of the District. Bartlett’s votes are definitely up for grabs in the general. During the campaign, Lisa Bartlett called Maryott “dishonest and unqualified.” Christopher Rodriguez termed Maryott a “fraud” who was “lying to voters” and “who will lose a third time.” When Maryott first ran in 2018, he positioned himself as the Trumpiest candidate. “Maryott, on the other hand, pumps up Trump without apology. ‘I don’t intend to be bashful about our President.’” San Diego Union-Tribune 3/22/18. Maryott has done absolutely nothing since then to distance himself from Trump who remains hugely unpopular in this well-educated suburban District. Most recently, Maryott welcomed the expected Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, Mike Levin has proven his effectiveness as a pragmatic leader who forges bipartisan consensus. He has authored and passed into law 19 bipartisan bills, including many to improve services and benefits for veterans. The Union-Tribune, in endorsing Levin for re-election, wrote: “Levin’s success in helping advance solutions for the Tijuana River pollution flooding nightmare, in keeping the spotlight on the need to remove nuclear waste from San Onofre and in advancing veterans causes is an unusually impressive collection of achievements for two initial two terms." While the 49th will be a hotly-contested battle in November, voters will be confronted with a stark choice between Levin, a uniquely effective, independent, bipartisan leader, and Maryott, a reflexive MAGA clone. It is a race that Mike Levin will win.
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