As the 2020 primary approaches, the left-leaning San Diego media is proclaiming that Assemblyman Brian Maienschein has the 77th District locked up. However, that is not entirely true as June Cutter has a significant chance of defeating Brian Maienschein for the Assembly seat.
The major red flag for Maienschein is his noted political betrayal. After serving four terms in the Assembly as a registered Republican, he left the Party in 2019 and registered as a Democrat. Despite the anger and contempt that coursed through the Republican Party, the flip coincidentally came after winning one of the closest political elections of his career.
He claims that his switch was a product of no longer agreeing with Republican values, which raises heavy skepticism since he was so quick to flip sides. It highlights his political inconsistency and lack of foundational beliefs, despite his politically expedient claims.
Nevertheless, Republicans have now rallied behind June Cutter, a highly qualified civil litigator and businesswoman. Cutter has a much more substantive platform than Maienschein: economic improvement, reducing living costs, renovating transportation, and government accountability.
Moreover, Cutter’s fundraising efforts have been incredibly successful for a first-time candidate, showing the approval that local voters have for her platform. Lastly, she is running on integrity, which is something that Maienschein can’t even pretend to have at this point.
While Democrats firmly believe that there is no competition for Brian Maienschein, San Diego County remains competitive—with the 77th Assembly District being a true toss-up. The moderate tendencies of the County make a Republican candidate, such as June Cutter, more appealing to San Diego County voters. This is especially true when the alternative is an intellectually defunct political opportunist like Assemblyman Brian Maienschein.
