San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan is running for a state assembly seat for the third time.
Duncan, a Democrat, launched a 2024 bid for California’s 74th Assembly District with an announcement on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The seat is currently held by Republican Laurie Davies, who pulled ahead of Duncan in the 2020 primary and defeated him in a rematch in the 2022 midterm election.
Duncan pledged to focus on making the cost of living more affordable for California’s middle-class families and pointed to his experience as mayor and federal prosecutor.
“I’m running to put the middle class first, lower costs for working families, and ensure all our children grow up safe with real opportunity,” he said in a statement. “From keeping costs and crime down as mayor of San Clemente to rooting out political corruption as a prosecutor, my life’s work has been fighting to keep the promise of the California Dream alive, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for in the state Assembly.”
Duncan said Sacramento is currently failing at representing all Californians.
“Reducing the cost of tuition for college, housing costs, cutting taxes for the middle class, not the wealthy corporations, capping prescription drug costs, these are things that California can do for everyday folks,” he said.
“I want to give people hope in this difficult time that you can excel and live out your dreams as a middle class family,” Duncan added. “We need to get back to that by lowering costs and making California more affordable. That’s not getting done right now.”
The district spans south Orange County and north San Diego County and includes Dana Point, San Clemente and Oceanside.
Duncan is serving his third year on the San Clemente City Council and was appointed mayor in December by his colleagues. He previously worked as a senior attorney and prosecutor for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to his campaign website.
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