Voters in one of San Diego County’s toughest House races this fall 74th Assembly district As a member of parliament you may feel a sense of deja vu Laurie Davies Going head to head once again with San Clemente Councilman Chris Duncan.

The two faced off in 2022 with Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, winning by a 5.2% margin. Thereafter, registered Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans in the district.

This time Republicans outnumber Democrats in the region.

And both parties are pushing to gain control of this key legislative seat, where Republicans are outnumbered but more progressive measures are coming to the fore. For example, in 2022, approximately 58% of voters in AD-74 supported Proposition 1, Protection of abortion in state constitution.

Davies and Duncan are divided on many important issues; One of them is increasing the minimum wage. Before California voters make this choice A proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026.

Davies said the minimum wage should rise with business growth and the market, not as directed by the government.

“The government should work to bring inflation in line with wages,” he said. “Government setting wages often leads to unintended consequences, such as job loss and a higher cost of living for everyone.”

Relating to: Q&A with everyone running for Assembly in San Diego County

But Duncan said it’s an option voters should consider to keep up with “the overwhelming cost of gas, food, medicine and other daily expenses.”

“California is too expensive for working and middle-class people. “Even in relatively affluent Orange County, 10 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty line,” he said.

They also have differing views on what the legislature can do to help communities provide mental health support to people experiencing homelessness.

Davies criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom for the billions of dollars the state spends on homelessness but said it lacks tangible results.

“Solving homelessness requires funding, but it also requires public, nonpartisan audits of every dollar spent and public performance reviews that show success or failure. We need to reward what works and take dollars away from those that don’t,” he said.

In September 2022, Newsom signed an agreement Mental health plan requiring California counties Establishing court systems that allow family members, first responders, social services, and other competent adults to petition for individuals with severe mental illness to be enrolled in programs that provide housing, medication, and support services. San Diego is only one of eight counties with such a CARE Act program; The rest of the state should have one by the end of this year.

“Allowing courts to mandate treatment for people suffering from intense mental illness — what the governor calls the ‘Court of Care’ — is an urgently needed change I strongly support to address the most difficult cases of homelessness,” Duncan said.

AD-74 extends north from Vista and Oceanside, and from Camp Pendleton to southern Orange County. According to the latest state data, Republicans make up 35.12 percent of registered voters in the district, while Democrats make up 35.07 percent and voters with no party preference make up 21.6 percent.

Learn more about the candidates on your ballot with the San Diego Union-Tribune’s complete voter guideand learn more about Davies and Duncan. Our Q&A event with all local Council candidates.

First Publication Date: November 4, 2024 7:40 AM PST