CHULA VISTA – Rep. Bob Filner and Assemblyman Juan Vargas engaged in a fiery debate last night as the two candidates matched political wits and experience before a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 400 people at Southwestern College.
With less than a month before the June 6 Democratic primary, audience participation was so high during the two-hour debate that the cheering, booing and catcalls often drowned out the candidates' comments.
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51st District
The 51st Congressional District includes southern sections of San Diego, plus Chula Vista and National City, and stretches eastward along the border to encompass all of Imperial County.
The race: Rep. Bob Filner has held the seat since 1992, when he first beat Juan Vargas, now a state assemblyman. In the Democratic primary, Filner faces Vargas and Danny Ramirez. In the Republican primary, Miles Blake faces Jim Galley. Dan “Frodo” Litwin is the sole Libertarian running.
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One of the main points of contention between the Democratic rivals, who are running against each other for the third time in 14 years, was who would do a better job of representing Latinos and Democrats. According to the 2000 Census, the 51st Congressional District is 48 percent Latino.
Filner, who has held his seat since 1992, argued that he knows what voters in his district really want: good jobs, access to health care and education, and a safe place to live. His constituents, he said, know that he is “on the front lines” in fighting against racism and discrimination.
Filner also noted that he has the endorsement of every Democratic and Latino group in San Diego County. He encouraged voters to elect “a Democrat who is in fact a Democrat.”
Vargas made his point by saying that he “represents everyone,” but everyone knows his name is “Juan.” He then launched into Spanish as he responded to a question.
He also made a joke when asked why he pushed to have more Latinos included in this district when the boundary lines were redrawn in 2001: “I wanted Bob to get a tan.”
Despite sprinkling jokes throughout their banter, both candidates accused each other of serious problems with affiliations and ethics.
Vargas repeatedly brought up Filner's practice of paying his wife to be his fundraiser, accusing him of “laundering” the contributions and putting the campaign money into his own pocket.
Since 1995, Filner has paid his wife, Jane, more than $505,000 in campaign money to be his fundraiser, but he says the practice is legal.
In response, Filner asked his wife to stand up in the audience as he attacked Vargas for his long association with the Inzunza family.
“Your campaign manager was convicted of bribery,” Filner said, referring to former San Diego Councilman Ralph Inzunza, who actually was convicted last year of wire fraud and extortion in connection with taking campaign contributions from a strip-club owner. “I would take my wife over those people any day.”
Vargas also brought up his objection to the legislation Filner co-sponsored in 2000 that helped pave the way for Bajagua Project LLC to get a sole-source contract to build a border sewage-treatment facility in Mexico.
“You're doing exactly the same things the Republicans are doing . . . and it's not right,” Vargas said.
Filner, who has received about $66,000 in campaign contributions from the project's investors and their family members, said he was not influenced by the money. Bajagua was the only company capable of doing the job, he said.
He also denied that it was a sole-source contract and said the company plans to subcontract out more than 90 percent of the project.
Democrat Danny Ramirez, a businessman from Calexico, also is running in the primary but did not participate in the debate.
Caitlin Rother: (619) 542-4567; caitlin.rother@uniontrib.com
