Local Republicans are hopeful that they can unseat incumbent Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) at the ballot box come November, but first they need to choose the candidate they want to do it in the June 5 primary.
Two candidates are duking it out for the Republican nomination—returning candidate for the 24th District and Santa Barbara businessman Justin Fareed and Morro Bay engineer/business owner and former Fresno City Councilmember Michael Erin Woody.
All three candidates recently appeared on a KSBY News televised debate, answering questions on a wide range of topics from legal cannabis in California to their position on policies enacted by President Donald Trump and his administration.
Fareed introduced himself as a “third generation rancher and small businessman who’s worked to create jobs and contribute to our local economy.” Fareed said that public safety, state water infrastructure, and the local economy were the most pressing issues facing the Central Coast.
“What I’m hearing from so many voters is about our local economy and jobs,” Fareed said. “I’m hearing about taxes, and the broken budget system in Congress, and the out-of-control national debt.”
In his opening remarks, Woody said that the United States is “at a crossroads,” and faces an unprecedented “crisis of leadership.” He spoke against California’s sanctuary policies and the federal funding of the state’s high speed rail project. Woody also spoke to the importance of the local economy, jobs, and infrastructure as central to his platform.
Carbajal said he was proud of the bipartisan work he did in Santa Barbara County and in his first term in the House of Representatives. He said that the local economy was very important to him, and that the oncoming closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant would have an adverse effect on many local residents. He also spoke on the importance of infrastructure improvements to waterways in the state and the 24th Congressional District specifically in times of drought.
Several hot-button issues were covered, including gun control, following a mass shooting that killed 10 at a Texas high school.
All agreed that mass shootings must stop, but differed on how to address the issue. Fareed said that school resource officers were “necessary to keep our kids safe,” and also said that mental health services were an important component to curbing mass shootings.
For Woody, the issue of gun violence was broader than mass shootings, and should include domestic violence, suicides, and gang shootings. He said that schools should be protected like “a local football game or even a farmers market,” and that school staff should “have the ability to arm themselves as the local school districts see fit.” He also spoke to importance of access to mental health services for people in crisis.
Carbajal said up front that lawmakers “need to pass more gun safety laws,” “ban assault rifles,” “ban high-capacity magazines,” and require universal background checks. He also agreed with Fareed’s and Woody’s calls for mental health services funding, and pointed to his work in Congress on the issue.
“I’ve passed the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act, which allows local families to work with law enforcement and our courts so they can seek a warrant to take away guns from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others,” he said. “We need to do a lot more.”
Candidates were asked point blank whether they were pro-choice or pro-life, referencing a Trump administration announcement to cut funding to Planned Parenthood.
Woody said the has supported and would continue to support a “woman’s right to choose,” which he said was “very important,” but added that he didn’t support late-term or partial-birth abortions or federal funding for abortion services. Fareed didn’t answer directly whether he was pro-choice or pro-life, saying it was a “deeply personal issue that should be left to women, doctors, their family,” and said he supported fully funding preventative health care. Carbajal said that the recent funding change was “yet another assault by this administration on women,” and that he was glad to have an endorsement from Planned Parenthood.
On the issue of immigration and sanctuary policies, the Republicans were against sanctuary policies and favored immigration reform. Woody did voice support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, however.
“Let’s fix DACA, let’s get the DACA kids here in the right manner, but let’s never ever support sanctuary city laws or sanctuary state laws,” Woody said. “Those are an absolute mistake.”
Fareed said it was “due time to put people over politics,” and said that bipartisan calls for immigration reform had devolved to a “talking point.” He said there were “fundamental flaws” with sanctuary policies, which have allowed the release of undocumented criminals who went on to commit “heinous crimes.”
Fareed also attacked Carbajal’s record in immigration-related votes, saying that “my opponent voted against Kate’s Law and other common sense, practical public safety measures.”
Carbajal said that the specific vote Fareed referenced “attempted to criminalize individuals seeking asylum and victims of sex trafficking,” and that his amendment to change those issues was denied.
“That law, while I think it attempted to deal with those that had committed serious offenses, I believe went too far by criminalizing people who attempted to come to this country to better their lives,” Carbajal said.
How to approach and prevent natural disasters came up as well, especially regarding the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslides. All agreed that the U.S. Forest Service and fire agencies needed robust financial support, especially concerning preventative measures so wildfires are less likely to burn out of control.
Fareed again chastised Carbajal, referencing a few specific votes in the House of Representatives, saying that Carbajal attempted to “gamble against disaster relief funding.” Carbajal shot back that the votes were “procedural,” and that “they would not have added added one more cent to help fight fires.”
All three candidates agreed on several more issues, including support for those affected by the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, federal decriminalization of cannabis, reducing overspending, and lowering carbon output and pollution in efforts to curb climate change.
When it came to the question of the Affordable Care Act and a public option for health care, the party lines came back again, and Fareed and Woody said they wouldn’t support a public option whereas Carbajal said he would.
Before the race is decided on Nov. 6, Woody and Fareed will vie for Republican nomination in the June 5 primary. Whoever wins that race will go on to run against Carbajal for the Central Coast’s congressional seat in November.Â
Managing Editor Joe Payne can be reached at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 24-31, 2018.
