When Democrats redrew California’s congressional districts, one of their targets to flip was District 48. Among the Democrats running to bring that effort to fruition is San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert. But it’s a tall order. She makes her case on Politically Speaking this week. A transcript of the interview is below. Transcript: Safchik: Every politico in town has their eyes trained on district 48. That’s the seat from which longtime Republican stalwart Darrell Issa is stepping away after it was redrawn to slightly favor Democrats. And if Democrats are able to flip it, it could help them seize back the House. But that is no easy task. One of the Democrats who say she’s up for the challenge is San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilbert, who is here now. Thank you so much for being here. von Wilpert: Thank you so much for having me. Safchik: There are three higher profile Democrats in this race. Why should you be the person people vote for? von Wilpert: Yes. So I am the only one running in this race who’s actually won competitive elections and beaten Republicans before. You know, when I flipped the most conservative district in the city of San Diego, it’s been a great journey since then. I’ve gotten to work for everyone in this city. You know, we have to deliver for our community. And the first law I passed made San Diego safer by banning the sale of untraceable ghost guns. I worked to lower the cost of living by starting the very first teacher down payment assistance program, and wrote a law requiring grocery stores to give you coupons on the price of milk or eggs without having to download a digital app. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and now Jim Desmond are going to be raising our costs at the gas pump, where nearly $7 a gallon. The tariffs have cost nothing but increased prices for our small businesses. And we have to stand up to Donald Trump in Congress. And that’s exactly what I plan to do. Safchik: Just to be clear, the person who you replaced on the city council was an independent by the time he left the council. Do you feel like it’s misleading at all to say you flipped that seat? von Wilpert: No, that’s– he had been Republican when he won. He was a Republican, and it had been a Republican stronghold for a long time. You know, Karl DeMaio used to operate that city council office. And I was really proud. But at the end of the day, when you win an election, you have to govern for everybody. And that’s what we’ve done. You know, we’ve listened as neighbors have told me, even running into me at the grocery store how they’re working harder than ever, but feel that they can’t get a foothold in this high inflation economy that Donald Trump has caused. And so they need a fighter in Congress who’s willing to stand up to Donald Trump. You know, I’m the fighter we need. You know, when I was a deputy city attorney, I got to go after the opioid companies and hold them accountable for the addiction crisis. We took Monsanto to court and won when they poisoned our waterways here in San Diego. And I’ve already stood up to things like ice in our communities. You know, we led the vote to join the city of Minneapolis in suing Ice and stopping the un-American tactics and raves they’re doing here in San Diego. I’m going to take that same fight to Congress to stand up to what is happening in the White House. Safchik: It is a big leap from City Council to Congress. What makes you believe you’re ready?  von Wilpert: I’ve actually worked in Congress before. You know, I’ve served in our federal government. I was a labor lawyer for President Obama’s administration enforcing workers rights around this country. I spent time working for a Congress member, Bobby Scott, and we wrote what is now the PRO Act together, Protect the Right to Organize, and it’s going to finally restore union rights in this country so that working Americans can actually get a foothold in our economy. You know, I know how to get a bill through committee markup to the rules committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives. And I know what it takes to serve. Safchik: If you’re elected and you have the opportunity to fix one thing about district 48, what would it be? von Wilpert: I’m going to stand up to the chaos and destruction of Donald Trump, whether it’s stopping ice from raiding our communities, whether it’s undoing the costly tariffs, raising our costs, whether it’s restoring affordable health care. I will stand up for our community against Donald Trump. And I’ll do it every day. Safchik: The city Council has had to make some pretty unpopular economic decisions during your tenure. Not that this is the fault of you or the current city council. This has been a long time coming, but are you worried any of that is going to haunt your campaign? von Wilpert: So I’ve been standing up against waste and abuse and fraud at the city of San Diego. When I first got elected, I inherited the 101 Ash skyscraper scandal, in which the city had been duped into purchasing an empty skyscraper, and I was one of the only council members to vote no. We should not buy the empty skyscraper. We should go to court and hold the bad actors accountable. I have voted against every utility rate hike that came before me. We don’t need to raise water rates here, people. We need the water department to do better to keep costs down. And it’s working. We’re seeing the county water authority for the first time actually sell the excess water rights we don’t need. So we don’t pass increased costs on to customers. And that’s what I’m going to fight for in Congress. We need responsible spending and not spending $25 billion of taxpayer money on another foreign war in the Middle East, when we should be spending it here on health care, on education, and on Americans. Safchik: You have supported some cost of living increases, like the parking at Balboa Park. Why should people trust that you’re going to be able to make their lives cheaper in Congress? von Wilpert: Actually, I’ve been fighting to lower the cost of living. You know, I voted against every utility rate hike that came through and started the first teacher down payment assistance program, and it’s working. Teachers are staying in San Diego County. In Balboa Park. We have an incredible gym in our city. I love living in San Diego. I grew up here and unfortunately, the museums are in need of repair. The roofs are falling apart. The grounds maintenance. And so we were told at City Hall that if we increased parking fees, it would go towards infrastructure repairs at Balboa Park. I’ve already demanded in the budget hearings a full accounting of where the money is and where it’s going. And if it’s not working in ways intended, I’ll call for a full repeal. But the idea is we do have to fund our infrastructure. I mean, our roads are in absolute disrepair, and they have been for years. And because we’re not funding our infrastructure properly, you know, we also need to make sure we’re investing in our public safety and EMS systems. Just before I came here, I was at a ribbon cutting for a new EMS center in San Diego. So our ambulance has to have quicker turnaround towns. Sorry. So our ambulances have quicker turnaround times and are actually responding to 911 calls. I’ve been a champion for public safety in our city, a champion for wildfire preparedness in our city. And that’s what I’m going to continue to fight for. Safchik: How much runway would you have as a first term Congress person to actually bring some of these economic changes you’re talking about to fruition? von Wilpert: Well, the first thing we need to do is make Congress a co-equal branch of government again. You know, the Founding Fathers put the three branches of government in for a reason, and it’s to be a check on an authoritarian white House like Donald Trump. We can’t keep rubber stamping the bad economic policies coming out of Donald Trump’s White House. So by flipping the House of Representatives and having Democrats in the majority, we can finally put the brakes on some of the policies that are harming Americans. We’ve seen gas prices rise exponentially since Donald Trump decided to go to war without asking the American people. We’re watching small businesses now get in line for tariff refunds when they had to shell out tens of thousands of extra dollars because of these illegal tariffs that Donald Trump has put in place, that the Republicans have rubber stamped every step of the way. So by being a member of Congress that flips the House and can stand up to Trump, we can stop the bleeding, but then we can actually work for the American people. We can’t just be against Trump. We have to do four things. First of all, we have to lower the cost of health care, health care to make you healthier. We have to restore that. Safchik: How do you lower the cost of health? von Wilpert: Yeah, you have to restore all of the cuts that happened to the Affordable Care Act. People are dropping off the Affordable Care Act left and right because their premiums are skyrocketing. We also have to undo the cuts that are coming to Medicaid and make sure that women’s reproductive services are services that are covered by our health care plans. We’re watching Planned Parenthood clinics closed their doors in California because the big, ugly bill that Donald Trump shoved through told them they cannot bill any services to Medicaid, even things like breast cancer exams, cervical cancer exams. I mean, the basics women need. We should restore ROE v Wade as a federal law so all women have rights. But once we do that, then we need to make sure that health care decisions are made between patients and their doctors, not by insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies that are raising our costs. You know, just like I went after the pharmaceutical companies and Purdue Pharma when I was a deputy city attorney, I’ll stand up to them in Congress to make sure we lower cost for everyday Americans. Safchik: How confident are you that this seat is actually flippable? von Wilpert: This is going to be a tough race. You know, and I’ve won tough races before and been reelected, but I’m going to win this race the old fashioned way. I’m going door to door. I’m meeting neighbors where they are. I’m speaking at community centers. Senior centers. People have invited me into their homes to have backyard parties to introduce me to other voters. This is how you win races is by listening to the people you’re going to represent. And that’s what I’ve done for the past six years at City Hall. You know, we’ve delivered real results for people, including finally fixing the terrible bureaucratic systems of the city that have made life harder for everyone. We cut red tape to make sure that more affordable housing could be built in, lowering the cost of housing. Now we’re working hard to make sure that San Diegans, if they call 911, goodness forbid, every time there is a professional responding on time. And these are the results I’ve delivered. And the things I’m going to continue working on when I get to Congress. Safchik: If you win this seat, you’d still be representing many conservative people. How would you make sure that their voices are heard, even if you disagree with them? von Wilpert: So the way that I have been governing is by listening to all sides of an issue. You know, when I ran, I flipped the most conservative seat red to blue, and then I got to work representing everybody because that’s my job. It didn’t matter whose side they had in their yard sign for the campaign. It mattered that I was now their elected official. And I’ve done just that. You know, I’ve taken the time to listen to voices that I don’t agree with, but they’re still welcome in my office at City Hall because I can learn from every conversation I have. And when I got reelected in 2024, I got reelected with no opponent because people had seen that. I’m a listener and I build trust and I deliver for the community, and that’s what I’m going to do when I’m in Congress. You know, I’ve worked across the aisle and we need more of that. When we started the very first program using our opioid settlement funds to prevent repeat overdoses in San Diego hospitals, I worked with Republican Supervisor Julie Anderson to do this. You know, we have things we can all agree on. We want our communities to be safe. We want our cost of living to be affordable. And when we can reach across the aisle, we should. But I’m never going to stop standing up for my values as a woman to have rights. I mean, for our LGBTQ community to live with equality and dignity in this country and for immigrants to this country, be treated with dignity and respect. What ICE is doing is not law enforcement. It’s chaos and it’s time to change it. Safchik: So speaking of which, you are the chair of the Public Safety Committee at the City Council. You have largely supported the use of license plate reader technology. How does that square with your resistance to ice? von Wilpert: Oh, yes. So our San Diego Police Department needs to abide by a state law, this the California Values Act, and we do not cooperate with immigration enforcement whatsoever. You know, the license plate reader technology is used not only in San Diego, but in Chula Vista and Escondido and Oceanside and Los Angeles. Most cities that also have Democratic representation, and they prevent very serious crimes. I mean, homicides, rapes, kidnaping, it’s been used to actually reduce crime. At the same time, we have to protect our citizens from overreach by the federal government. So I’ve worked very hard to make San Diego the only city that I know of in California that’s locked down our cameras, so much so that we don’t even share our data with other law enforcement cities in California, because I don’t trust Donald Trump. So we have worked hard to trump proof these cameras and make sure they’re only used by San Diego PD and not by anybody else. Safchik: Do you feel like the oversight there is your responsibility? von Wilpert: Oh, I feel it’s the whole city’s responsibility. You know, we have weekly audits of these cameras not done by PD, done by city auditors to make sure what they’re using them for is actual law enforcement. And they have, you know, the real issue here is that Donald Trump has caused chaos by sending ice into our communities. They’re killing Americans in the streets. They’re raiding hospitals and churches and schools. You know, he promised he would only deport criminals in the worst of the worst. But we’re seeing children caught up in this. We’re seeing family members caught up in this. You know, my father is an immigrant to this country. And then he proudly served our nation in the United States Army. I joined the United States Peace Corps to serve our nation abroad as well. Our family comes from service and comes from valuing people from around the world who come to this country to make a better life and contribute like my father has. Safchik: What would you like to see Congress doing to create headwinds for ICE? What would you do as a Congresswoman? von Wilpert: First of all, we have to completely rein in this lawless agency. It’s about accountability and transparency. You know, I grew up here in San Diego in a border town. We can have an immigration system that functions as a secure border that prevents drugs, guns, bad actors from going across, but also promotes trade in families and students and travel. We’re a binational economic region, and we should start acting that way. We also need an immigration system that provides a pathway to citizenship for people who come here and do nothing more than the right thing, like the dreamers who’ve worked hard to educate themselves, earn degrees, want to become doctors, and they can’t get citizenship because of the way that Donald Trump has completely torn our immigration system apart. So that’s what we need to start focusing on, not these lawless, un-American raids that Ice is doing. Safchik: At least your first term would still be under the Trump administration. What would that look like to you? How would you reach across the aisle to actually be able to legislate? von Wilpert: Well, we’re going to start seeing the pain get worse and worse the longer Trump’s in office. You know, the big ugly bill, as I call it, calls for huge cuts to Medicaid, affordable health care. Starting at the end of this year, even the Republicans are going to start feeling their constituents feel the pain of not being able to go to the doctor and afford their visit. So I’m very hopeful that once Democrats take the majority, we can lead and we can show that we can deliver affordable health care in this country. You know, we need to undo the permanent 2017 tax cuts that Donald Trump put in place to give the ultra wealthy tax breaks in this nation, while the rest of us are trying hard to pay our fair share. We can protect Social Security and Medicare and in public education and rein in these costs. I mean, Donald Trump has run the national deficit like it’s its own personal credit card. And the corruption is ridiculous. I mean, we should ban insider trading in Congress. But just this morning, I woke up to the news that Donald Trump himself has failed to report tens of millions of dollars of insider trading he’s done on the stock market. And what did happen? A slap on the wrist. It’s time that we actually have ethics in Congress. It’s time that we have representation that is working for the American people, and not just working to make him and his friend richer. Safchik: What do you say to people who feel like the city of San Diego has not been a perfect steward of their taxpayer dollars, and who are worried about sending someone who is for whom the city’s reputation precedes itself to Congress. von Wilpert: Well, first of all, I love living in San Diego. You know, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in America. And I’m proud to have grown up here. And what I ask people to do is look at people’s records and where we stand. You know, I’ve actually been going down swinging on major votes. I did not vote for these bad real estate deals the city has gotten into previously. I did not vote for a trash fee for the city of San Diego that I thought was out of control. I did not vote to increase water rates when that was presented to me, because the water department can do better. You know, I’m standing on a record of fiscal responsibility and reining in these costs. I’ve watched my own city, which I love and adore in the past, been called things like Enron of the Sea because of past council members’ decisions that we are still cleaning up and living with. But I have been a good steward of our taxpayer dollars since I got elected and invested in things like public safety, our wildfire helicopter program to cut down on wildfires. Affordable housing for teachers. These are the things that I’ve been focusing on. And this is the record that I’m going to take to Congress. Safchik: Is the Democratic message on affordability, on putting dollars back in people’s pockets. Now, is that resonating with people? Is that landing? von Wilpert: Well, when I go door to door and talk to voters, I hear from them all the time how much harder they feel they’re working and how much more expensive things are still getting. You know, in Congressional District 48, we have a significant number of working families who work every day, wake up to do things like build the buildings that we need, build the new schools, we need the courthouses. And they’re not getting a leg up in this economy. So I’m really proud, actually, to have been working with our construction unions to try and bring affordable and sustainable projects to San Diego. For example, we laid a $60 million contract to install electric vehicle chargers so that we can actually meet our sustainability and climate change goals. But it created good union jobs to install those EV chargers. We’re putting solar panels on our city buildings, so we don’t have to pay the high rates of steel anymore. But those are good union jobs. You know, when I go up and down this district, there’s a lot of people who are working at Walmart and Target and Amazon, huge companies that are notorious for fighting their workers for having a voice on the job. So I want to pass the PRO Act, Protect the Right to Organize, that will restore union rights so that these hardworking folks can actually get things like paid child care, paid sick days so they don’t have to miss a day’s rent just to go to the doctor and can decide when and how I comes into the workplace. We need to make sure that it’s used responsibly and that people keep their jobs, and we continue to grow our economy. Safchik: When you ran for city council back in 2020, a judge ruled that calling yourself a prosecutor was misleading. You have used that term in campaign ads this year. Did that ruling give you pause? von Wilpert: Oh, no. I’ve been a civil prosecutor for a long time and I’m very proud of my record. You know, what a judge said back in 2020 was people might think that I am a criminal prosecutor. Now, I actually prosecuted in the civil system, and I’ve held big corporations accountable when they broke the law. And I’m very proud of it. You know, we need to hold white collar people accountable when they break the law as well. When we actually went after huge corporations like Experian, Experian, Data Corporation for customer security, privacy breaches, I want to protect customer rights from privacy breaches. We went after Monsanto for environmental pollution here in San Diego, and won 50 million to get them to clean up the San Diego Bay. I’m really proud of the work we did against the opioid companies, to get them to actually clean up the addiction crisis in our streets. And I’m proud of that record every day. Safchik: If people watch this interview and they remember one thing about morning vomit, what do you hope it is? von Wilpert: That I am the fighter. We need to stand up to Donald Trump in Congress. You know, I’ve been fighting my whole career for working people. I’m fighting to lower our costs. I’m fighting to protect our health care and fire, protect women’s rights, to have women’s health care in this nation. I’m fighting to protect our LGBTQ community. You know, I am a young LGBTQ woman. I just got engaged, actually. I’m really excited to get married to the woman that I love. And I’m just asking to be treated with dignity and equality like everybody else. So I’m really excited to run this race. I’m excited to represent everyone in Congressional District 48. I’m in it. I’m very excited to stand up to Donald Trump in Congress. Safchik: Well, congratulations and thank you for being here today. von Wilpert: Thank you for having me. ...read more read less