Congress has been without a House speaker for two weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, was ousted from the position, and two Republican candidates vying for California’s 49th congressional district say a divided GOP is hurting the country.
Kate Monroe, a U.S. Marine veteran and Margarita Wilkinson, a longtime media executive, are the latest to jump into the race. There are now four Republicans vying for the seat as well as incumbent Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano.
Monroe, who launched her campaign in August, said the lack of “strong leadership at the head of the Republican Party” is one reason why she is running.
“It’s interesting, the dichotomy between the left and the right,” Monroe said. “On the left, whether they hate each other or not, they stay snugged in very tightly. On our side, we tend to break into little coalitions, and we don’t have a united front.”
The San Diego resident said her experience in the military and running a company — solving problems, respecting different perspectives, encouraging transparency — would help her unite members in Congress. Monroe heads VetComm, an organization she said helps veterans collect disability compensation that otherwise may go unclaimed.
“I’m a very strong leader. All of my employees are always rowing in the same direction,” Monroe said. “We may have differences, but we have a vision that we’re trying to accomplish, and I know without every single person, we can’t get it done right.”
Wilkinson, who threw her hat in the ring for CA-49 last month, said the Republican Party needs to unite as one.
“Having a functioning Congress is too important for everything that is happening today,” she said. “Some of the most important things is to unite the party, support each other and support the needs of your district.”
The 49th district is one of 37 California seats held by Democrats that the national GOP’s campaign arm sees as a “prime pick up”…
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