Former Rep. Darrell Issa and former City Councilman Carl DeMaio are both running for Congress in the 50th District.
Last week, Issa announced his bid in front of supporters outside El Cajon City Hall: “And so today I’m announcing that I will be, I will be the next Congressman from the 50th congressional district. I’m dedicated to do that because I believe that I have the history, the skills, the seniority, and the capability to hit the ground running, not just for this district, but for California. To help Republicans compete in what has become a very treacherous and difficult Congress and to retake the majority.”
Issa’s reference to “this district,” as hosts Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts wrote in the most recent Politics Peport, is a little problematic. That’s because he was actually standing in the 53rd District.
This particular race is proving that the 50th District is more of an idea than an actual place, at least to the contenders. Lewis, Keatts and Sara Libby discuss the current crop of candidates (many of whom have run for or represented other districts) and the spectacle the race is becoming.
Southwestern Professor Kept Student Sex Videos on His Work Computer
Investigators were looking into a Title IX complaint against Southwestern College professor John Tolli when they made a shocking discovery: He had stash of nude photos of himself and students, as well as videos of him having sex with a student in his office. The collection was on his work computer.
Following the investigation, Tolli was allowed to resign his post quietly and arranged an agreement where school officials would not mention the investigation or its findings to potential employers.
In the podcast, Libby shared details of the investigation by VOSD contributor Katy Stegall and how the documents finally came to light.
(Note: After we recorded the podcast, news broke that Tolli was placed on leave from his current role at San Diego City College.)
The Big(ish) SANDAG Vote
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones joined the podcast this week to talk about last week’s SANDAG vote on a $600 million spending blueprint. Jones sits on the agency’s board of directors.
Jones and Keatts sat down to discuss what was touted as a big compromise for a big vote — a happy medium to serve highway and transit needs.
Jones was part of the group of leaders from North County who pushed a change to the spending proposal from the one put forward by SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata. But the $600 million spending plan is distinct from Ikhrata’s plan for a new regional transportation plan known as the “5 Big Moves.”