Scott Peters

Challenger Steve Cohen says it’s time for a change in California’s 50th Congressional District, while incumbent Rep. Scott Peters says voters should elect him to an eighth term because he’s fought hard for San Diego.

Cohen, a retired journalist and a Republican, faces a steep uphill battle against Peters, a Democrat serving in a district where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by more than 50,000.

The two men’s fundraising hauls underscore that mismatch. Peters raised more than $1.8 million and spent nearly $1.4 million through the end of June, campaign finance disclosures show. Cohen reported no fundraising in that time.

The district includes the city of San Diego’s coastal and central neighborhoods — from downtown through La Jolla and north to Rancho Bernardo — plus Escondido, San Marcos, Poway, Coronado and Rancho Santa Fe.

“The main reason I’m running is that it’s time for a change,” Cohen, 79, said by phone this week. “I’m focused on what we need to do to make America better. I don’t think that’s what Scott’s about.”

Peters, 68, said he considers his every-two-years reelection bids like job interviews. “I hope people see I’ve fought hard for San Diego,” he said.

Examples he cited include securing $650 million in federal money for a border sewage treatment facility and bringing to San Diego new resources for the military, including $86 million for a new child care facility at Naval Base San Diego.

Peters also touted his efforts to fight the Trump administration on many issues, particularly immigration raids in San Diego.

Cohen said he would focus on wiping out the federal deficit and shoring up the long-term finances of Social Security.

He contends Peters wouldn’t be focused on his congressional work during an eighth term because he plans to run for San Diego mayor in 2028 and start campaigning next year.

“I think he’s at the end of something and looking for a new beginning,” Cohen said.

Peters didn’t dispute that he’s considering a run for mayor of San Diego, where he served on the City Council from 2000 to 2008. But he said Congress will have his attention during his next two-year term, and he’s not sure what will come after that.

“In the next phase, I’ll see where my service can make the biggest impact,” he said.

In Congress, Peters said he’s on the cusp of bipartisan reform that could speed up approvals for clean energy projects.

“I’m not a flame-thrower, I’m a problem-solver,” he said.

Cohen moved to San Diego in 2003 to lead KUSI’s newsroom, which he did for two decades before retiring. He was involved in TV journalism for three decades before coming to San Diego.

He lives in Pacific Beach.

Peters, who lives in the Bird Rock section of La Jolla, considered running for San Diego mayor in 2020 but ultimately decided against what could have been a fierce battle against Todd Gloria, who faces term limits in 2028.

The San Diego neighborhoods in the 50th District include downtown, Golden Hill, South Park, North Park Hillcrest, Little Italy, Mission Hills, Point Loma, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, University City, Carmel Valley, Rancho Peñasquitos and the San Pasqual Valley.

The district was recently redrawn under Proposition 50, which California voters approved last November. But it remained safely Democratic.