California's 47th district could be one of the most competitive and important congressional races in 2024.
Jodi Balma, who is a political science professor at Fullerton College, had this to say about the race:
I can absolutely see why Katie Porter … [wants] to be in that United States Senate seat, but that leaves this district without an incumbent, and it makes it harder for the Democrats to hold on to it. t will be an incredibly expensive and competitive battle.
Meet one of the candidates vying for the congressional seat — Max Ukropina. He is a 36-year-old businessman, thinks we need new leadership in Washington, DC, and is anti-war.
We discussed all things from the CA-47 race, his Democrat opponent attacking the GOP candidates about their pro-life stance, his visit to the southern border, funding for Ukraine and Israel, whether to vote yes or no on Prop 1, whether to repeal Prop 47, and whether Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) should be recalled. Here is my full interview with him.
WATCH:
Here is part of the Q&A:
Levon Satamian: Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to run in this district?
Max Ukropina: I'm born and raised right here in the district. I'm a business guy who is sick and tired of watching things go down the toilet in the United States and California... I'm unhappy with how things are going in Washington [DC] from both the Democrats and the Republicans. I think the Republicans are also the problem with a lot of these things because they say they're going to get things done, but they don't.
LS: You visited the border recently, in December, tell us what you saw there, and is it worse than what the media is showing? Was there a surge like we're seeing now?
MU: Yes, thank you for bringing this up. I went down to the border in December, and I met with border patrol. This is down at the San Diego sector... I spent the afternoon with border patrol, and we watched as people from all around the world walked right through... It is far worse than you could imagine... It wasn't like this four years ago, and once Biden took over, it was literally a get-out-of-jail-for-free card for everyone that crosses over.
I went to the border to learn more about the crisis on the front lines. It's worse than I imagined.
— Max Ukropina (@MaxUkropina) December 13, 2023
We put together a video to share what we saw and learned. People need to know what's really going on.
Bottom line: this crisis won't end until we overhaul our broken asylum laws. pic.twitter.com/OGEeaBKJBH
LS: Are you for giving any funds to Ukraine or Israel?
MU: No, right now, we need to focus on our border, so no more money to Ukraine. Once we secure our border, then we could have those discussions, and I look at this is: We're $34 trillion in debt... we have to look into auditing where that money is going, all this corruption, and the Democrats are using this as a bargaining chip for our border... Why would we protect someone else's border if we can't even protect our own? With Israel, they have the full right to defend themselves, and they're doing exactly what they need to do to defeat Hamas.
On California's Prop 1, Ukropina said:
Vote NO on Prop 1. I'm born and raised right here in California, and the Democrats love to put out these propositions to put on more bond measures... It's just another tax... We have a legislature that is terrible at doing its job, and as you mentioned we're massively in a deficit... People need help, but we have the infrastrcture today to get it done.
Ukropina on repealing Prop 47:
Yes, it should absolutely be repealed... this [Prop 47] is why stores have been closing down in San Francisco and LA and here in Orange County, it's really really awful. Its really destroyed business here in California... It's [Prop 47] incentivizing people to steal.
On Newsom's second potential recall, Ukropina said:
Do I think he should be recalled? Absolutely. He's a terrible governor. He ruined San Francisco, and he's ruining California.
Regarding his GOP opponent, Scott Baugh, Ukropina mentioned how, although Baugh lost to Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) in 2022, Republicans won district-wide across the ballot. He stated that Republicans should win the CA-47 race, and it has been their race to lose for some time, but they need the right candidate to make it happen. He is making the argument that it's time for a new generation to lead CA-47 and he is the right person for the job, and gave his reasons throughout the interview.
Per Cook Political Report, this district currently leans Democrat, but a lot can change from now until November.
NEW @CookPolitical 2024 House ratings, curated by me and @ercovey: https://t.co/mAdCOtLXHx
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) February 29, 2024
Lean/Likely/Solid GOP: 210
Lean/Likely/Solid Dem: 204
Toss Up: 21 pic.twitter.com/PE9nXKjWra
In-person voting is open now until March 5th. Make sure to make your voices heard and vote.
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