California — 50th District

Lucinda KWH Jahn, 64, an event technician supervisor, is running for Congress representing portions of San Diego and inland North County in California’s 50th Congressional District.

Jahn is a native of Oceanside who now lives in Ramona. She is not registered with a political party.

The San Diego Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Jahn and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.

Jahn said she did not use any AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions.

1) Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? (150 words max)

I want future generations of Americans to thrive in a free, democratic and civil society. My goal is the same as that of President Abraham Lincoln. He stated his goal simply and eloquently in the Gettysburg Address — “that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Restoring and strengthening our democratic republic is imperative.

Individuals who make lasting positive changes share a common trait: They act on principle, consistently, over time.

Let us think about that for a moment. These individuals are principled, they act with integrity — not sometimes or when it is convenient, but consistently, over time. I make a cognitive choice to be that person, consistently, over time.

2) What are the top 3 issues facing this district? (150 words max)

The top three issues facing the 50th Congressional District are the same as the rest of the country: The United States is at war with Iran, our international reputation is in tatters, and our nation is drowning in debt.

3) What are the first 3 things you would do in your first/next term in Congress? (150 words max)

The first imperative at this time is to rein in the executive branch and re-establish the powers granted to Congress as stated in our Constitution. Members of Congress are obligated to act responsibly as a check to the overreach of executive power. Our legislative bodies, the Senate and the House, must address the war with Iran, the state of our international reputation and our monstrous debt.

4) If your party wins control of Congress, what should be its first priority? If your party loses control of Congress, what should be its first priority? (100 words max)

My priority is sound and responsible governance. I am not interested in the dysfunction of our multiple political parties vying for power and control at the expense of common sense and rational, evidence-based decisionmaking.

I am a no party preference candidate. I am not a member of any party. My first imperative, as I stated before, is to rein in the executive branch and re-establish the powers granted to Congress as stated in our Constitution.

5) President Trump has made cracking down on immigration a cornerstone of his administration, ordering widespread arrests and detentions of immigrants nationwide and directing military resources to a new military zone along the U.S.-Mexico border. What impact have these had on this district? What are your goals on immigrants, immigration and the border, and how would you pursue them if elected? What is your message to constituents who are immigrants? (150 words max)

Immigration is a prominent issue for the 50th Congressional District of California due to its proximity to the border. The issue is complicated and more layered than the current public dialogue suggests.

It is the function of our government to regulate our national border. We should regulate our borders. Any changes to our immigration laws are not useful if they are unenforceable. Congress is going to have to address the mess created by not enforcing past immigration laws.

The situation as it now exists with people being in this country undocumented is unfair to all. Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.

6) It’s been nearly two months since the United States began a war with Iran. Do you believe Americans are better or worse off for it? What should Congress’s role be? Would you vote to let the president continue the war beyond the 60 days after which congressional authorization is required? (150 words max)

The role of Congress in this war, just as in others, is to exercise the authority granted them in the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

Our legislative branch is duty-bound to rein in the executive branch when necessary. Congress must analyze the available intelligence to determine if the military action taken in Iran was in fact necessary. If it was not, then the members of Congress are obligated to fulfill their responsibility to the American people and take the necessary action to end the conflict.

I cannot say in good conscience how I would vote on a continuation of the war. I do not have access to the intelligence data necessary to make a reasoned and informed decision in this matter as a private citizen. Americans are economically worse off for it; however, the state of our security situation is unknown.

7) Recent jumps in the cost of fuel, food and other goods — combined with federal cuts to safety-net programs, new limits on certain federal loans and more — are squeezing residents already struggling with San Diego County’s high costs of living. What relief would you seek to offer, and how? (150 words max)

I am not an advocate of just throwing money at issues. State and local governments share the responsibility for the high cost of living in San Diego County.

As a member of Congress, I can vote on legislation to determine tax rates and federal budgets. I personally am an advocate of allowing citizens to keep more of their hard-earned money. A safety-net program that is fraught with abuse and pays too much for too little is a burden on everyone. The relief I can offer is to vote for balancing the federal budget, reducing bureaucratic bloat and relieving tax burdens on American citizens.

8) Like much of California, this district has been affected by the effects of climate change. How should Congress mitigate those impacts, and what would you do to pursue such efforts? (100 words max)

Why are Americans waiting for the federal government to change local and regional habits to meet the challenges of climate change? The needed response to climate change is different for each region of the United States and the world. Climate changes. Sound stewardship of resources is accomplished best at the regional and local level. The federal level may be able to offer information and research data; however, regional, state and local governments need to use the information wisely to meet regional and local needs.

9) Polling underscores that one chief concern of California voters in the 2026 midterm elections is the issue of threats to democracy. What do you believe are the greatest threats to American democracy? How would you, and how should Congress, protect against these? (100 words max)

The greatest threat to our democracy is the failure of our system of checks and balances to rein in the executive branch. The legislative and judicial branches of government are not, by all appearances, asserting themselves effectively to maintain the balance of power. Members of Congress must reclaim the powers granted them by the Constitution of the United States. If the U.S. Constitution needs to be updated to clarify the powers of Congress, then the legislative branch should do so.

10) Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (100 words max)

Yes, I support a ban on members of our government — be it the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch or government employees — using confidential and sometimes even secret information to buy stocks or making bets on prediction markets. Personal gain is a powerful influence over someone’s decisionmaking. What is best for an individual’s pocketbook is not good for our country.

11) By design Congress is supposed to serve as a check on the executive branch through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe that Congress has fulfilled that obligation in recent years? Why or why not? Should Congress do more to hold the president accountable? Explain. (150 words max)

No, I do not believe Congress has fulfilled its obligation to serve as a check on the executive branch. Why do I believe that? I seriously question the competence of the members of the current administration. The Senate must confirm the president’s choices. Why were these individuals confirmed? Yes, Congress should hold the president accountable. It is their job.

12) A recent San Diego Union-Tribune poll found voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Congress is doing, by higher margins than they disapprove of the job Trump is doing. Why do you think this is? How can Congress win back voters’ hope and trust, and what would you personally do to achieve this? (150 words max)

I am one of those voters who disapproves of the job Congress is doing. My perception of our congressional members is the majority are more interested in maintaining the power of their party and not the pursuit of sound governance. The current environment of Democrat versus Republican, us versus them, renders the entire body ineffectual and incapable of independent agency and thought. An unelected marketing engine called either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee is now in charge. Candidates for Congress who do not question these entities are more interested in the power and influence of the office and not what is best for our country.