Thank you for visiting my campaign website. If your intention was to visit my official House of Representatives website, please click here.
Oceanside, CA – Matt Gunderson, Republican candidate for Congress, debated Democratic Congressmember Mike Levin yesterday. Gunderson is known for two things, being an executive in his family’s car dealership and running for office, any office, over and over again.
So, it is not too surprising that what voters heard for over an hour and 15 minutes was dodging, prevarication, rationalization, and misrepresentation.
Some of Gunderson’s most memorable statements:
#1. “I am not a politician.”
Matt Gunderson, who made a fortune as a part of his family’s car dealership empire, is now in the middle of his 4th campaign: for Congress, for US Senate, for State Senate, and again for Congress. He has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe what he meant to say was “I am a politician, just not a successful one.”
#2. “I think we have to renew the Trump tax cuts.”
Only a multimillionaire would respond to a question about controlling inflation by leading with a plea to extend the Trump 2017 tax cuts. 60% of the tax cuts went to the wealthiest 1% (assuming that would include Matt), at the same time the cuts exploded the federal deficit, costing $1.9 trillion over 10 years, with absolutely no economic benefit.
#3. “The most exciting thing about the Presidential election is Elon Musk’s National Office of Government Efficiency.”
Really? Elon Musk as commissar in charge of anything? Particularly “efficiency”. That’s the best thing we have to look forward to under a Trump Administration?
#4. “I have no idea what is going on in Springfield, Ohio.”
When asked if he agrees with the despicable claims made by his preferred Presidential candidate Donald Trump about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, Gunderson said he has no idea what the facts were. He might check with the Republican Governor of Ohio or the Mayor of Springfield.
#5. “I have no idea what Marjorie Taylor Greene or Elon Musk said in that regard.”
When asked if he would denounce the antisemitic remarks of Greene and Musk, Gunderson punted again. No idea.
#6. Exxon? “I have no idea what stock I own.”
In 2022 in his State Senate campaign, Gunderson was the largest recipient of oil money in the state, over $2 million. When confronted with his investment in Exxon, Gunderson, once again, had no idea. Must be nice to have so much money you can’t keep track of it.
#7. “I don’t know the exact concept for immigration policy but we need to get here.”
That would be nice.
#8. “I am a pro-choice Republican.” AND “I will not vote to codify Roe V. Wade.”
Gunderson is the type of pro-choice Republican who believes states should have the right to ban all abortions. Just what does ‘pro-choice’ even mean for 44% of the women in the United States to have their reproductive rights stripped away. A pro-choice republican who called Proposition 1, the ballot measure to protect abortion rights in California, “disgusting”.
Watch the exchange on abortion here
Gunderson is a master of vague promises, misleading claims and deceptive rhetoric. Before you vote for Matt Gunderson, make sure you read the fine print.
###
Thank you for visiting my campaign website. If your intention was to visit my official House of Representatives website, please click here.