Councilman Brian Maryott (R-San Juan Capistrano)

Just 13 months after his first election to public office, Councilman Brian Maryott (R-San Juan Capistrano) enters the race to succeed Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Vista) in the 49th Congressional District.  He faces off against State Board of Equalization Chairwoman and former Assemblywoman Diane Harkey (R-Dana Point), Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside), and attorney Joshua Schoonover (R-San Marcos).  Harkey, Chavez, and Maryott live in the 49th Congressional District.  Schoonover lives in the 50th Congressional District.

First elected in November 2016, Maryott represents the 5th Council District.  San Juan Capistrano has 19,000 of CD-49’s 391,000 voters, or 4.9% of all CD-49 voters.  Maryott’s 5th Council District is home to 5,700 voters, or 1.5% of all CD-49 voters.  Maryott raised no money for his 2016 Council race, instead loaning himself $36,000 in order to win 1,992 votes to be elected to the 5th District seat on the San Juan Capistrano City Council.  He told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he would raise money for CD-49 and would also spend $100,000 of his own money for the seat.

While Harkey and Chavez are giving up their re-election bids in order to run for CD-49 since both their seats are up for election in 2018, Maryott’s Council seat is not up until 2020.  If he won the Congressional seat, his City Council seat would fall vacant and the Council would either appoint his replacement or hold a special election.

Here’s an excerpt of OC Political’s live blog when Maryott appeared before the OC GOP Endorsements Committee during his 2016 Council race:

Brian Maryott has three children and plans to live the rest of his life in San Juan Capistrano. He says there is a poisonous atmosphere on the council. He argues the city is attempting to run a water company with inadequate scale. He is worried about the impending city deficit. He is concerned about sober living homes. He expresses concern about traffic and mobility due to poor decisions by the Council. He says he is self-funding and spending a significant sum. He has 25 years of business experience. He worked in the Massachusetts State House for a legislator who chaired Ways and Means until moving to California 22 years ago.

Ronda Mottl graduated from Indiana University and interned for Dan Quayle. Her father was a Congressman. She interned for the RNC. She was Membership Chair of the OCYR. She worked for coupons.com. She noticed how her water bill is double the price it is in Newport Beach. She agrees that the Council atmosphere is like the Hatfields and McCoys. She has business experience. She opposes continued city operation of water. She opposes widening Ortega Highway.

Night asks about Mottl’s father.

Mottl says her father was a conservative Democrat.

Night asks her about switching from Republican to Democrat in 2008 because of the Great Recession and Sarah Palin’s inexperience. Night points to Palin having more experience than Obama.

Mottl argues Obama had more DC experience than Palin.

Night asks how each candidate could get to three votes in light of the divisive council.

Mottl argues that the Council needs to listen to both sides and make a judgement call, not just automatically vote with one faction on the Council. She expresses concern about city litigation.

Maryott points to his experience in the State House in building bridges between elected officials. He notes there are more than two factions on the Council. He thinks it was a bad decision to go to districts with little pushback. He thinks Councilmembers should listen, learn, and collaborate. He says Commissions are inadequately leveraged.

Huang asks Mottl what her solution to traffic is if she will not expand Ortega Highway.

Mottl wants an east-west arterial highway similar to Antonio in Ladera Ranch.

Maryott argues people need to be able to get to their destinations. He supports stretching the 241 to Cow Camp Rd. He argues only 0.8 miles of Ortega Highway needs to be expanded to match the other ends of that stretch of the highway.

Huang asks if the candidates would tax marijuana locally if Prop 64 passes.

Mottl opposes smoking marijuana in public. She opposes marijuana use in general. She supports a local marijuana tax.

Maryott opposes a local marijuana tax.

Huang called this the most interesting set of applications with party switches. She is concerned that neither has been particularly involved with the party in the last decade.

NEUTRALITY RECOMMENDED FOR SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, DISTRICT 5 BY A 5-0-2 VOTE (Lalloway and Young absent).