GOP’s Hunter Rallies Voters at Border Stump, Despite Indictment

Mark Stiedemann and Irene Chennell, a married couple from Escondido who attended an ice cream social hosted by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s fame and Campa-Najjar over the weekend, say they’re supporting Campa-Najjar because “he’s not Duncan Hunter.”

“He’s young, nonwhite and has fresh ideas. But mostly, he’s not Duncan Hunter,” Chennell, a Democrat, said.

Stiedemann, a Republican who voted for Trump in the 2016 primary but not the presidential election, said he’s “looking forward to someone in Congress who represents more than just the military.”

“Ammar will have a far more mature viewpoint on environmental issues. I don’t know his economics basis but I believe in a balanced budget and I disagree with Trump’s tax cuts and increasing the military budget at the expense of everything,” Stiedemann said.

Cohen set up an impromptu ice cream stand at Grape Day Park in Escondido this past weekend where he served up scoops of sticky-sweet Cherry Garcia, Americone Dream and Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream as he campaigned with Campa-Najjar to flip the district in the bitter race.

“For some people, they’re thinking ‘Maybe I’ll just sit this election out.’ Some people are not planning on voting. Some people maybe are Republicans and can’t vote for the indicted guy but maybe have a hard time voting for him [Campa-Najjar]. The reality is if you sit this election out, it is voting for the incumbent,” Cohen told the group of about 100 Campa-Najjar supporters.

Campa-Najjar, who served as a regional field director to re-elect Obama in 2012 before securing a position at the White House, was chosen among seven candidates by Ben & Jerry’s to get his own ice cream flavor – “Ammar-etto American Dream” – to raise money for the campaign.

“I decided to get into this race 22 months ago,” Campa-Najjar told supporters. “My job will be to hold the executive branch accountable, not just be a yes man but be a congressman. Right now we don’t have a congressman, we have a yes man. You don’t have a law maker, you have a law breaker. I want to fix that.”

Debbie Resler of Escondido said she is “so completely disappointed by the lack of ethics and the fact that ever since I’ve lived in Escondido I have not had a representative in the federal government who represents my values.”

The 16-year resident said she believes the fact the Hunters paid back more than $60,000 in campaign funds shows they’re “taking responsibility for at least some” of the misspending they’re accused of.

“It either shows a lack of ethics or gross negligence for an extended period of time; neither is acceptable,” Resler said.

While some Republican voters said they would still vote for Hunter, they also said they will support his removal from office if he’s convicted of the charges.

William Del Pilar of Valley Center said he’s a conservative voter who was formerly registered as an independent and used to be liberal.

Del Pilar said he wouldn’t vote for Campa-Najjar, calling the candidate an “Obama acolyte,” but said he didn’t necessarily agree with how Hunter has campaigned against his opponent.

Del Pilar values that Hunter was a member of the armed service. But “I don’t think Hunter is the long-term solution for the district,” he said.

“I’m not going to play dumb and say Duncan Hunter is innocent. If the courts find him guilty, I’ll be the first to call him to resign,” Del Pilar, who grew up in Panama, said.

Amy Sutton, a leader who runs the groups San Diego Patriots and San Diegans for Secure Borders, attended Hunter’s press conference Thursday.

Sutton said she wants to see a wall built “to stop an invasion of migrants” and that she wouldn’t vote for Campa-Najjar, calling him a “terrorist-linked candidate.”

But Sutton said “that’s on him” if Hunter is convicted of the federal charges he faces.

“If he gets convicted, he has to resign,” Sutton said.

In an interview, San Diego Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric said Hunter got the group’s endorsement because “he’s a better fit for the district” and “holds traditional, conservative Republican values.”

As for the criminal charges, Krvaric noted the constitutional principle of innocent until proven guilty.

“Unfortunately with the timing, there’s no opportunity to resolve this prior to the election, and now it will have to be resolved after the election,” Krvaric said.

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