California — 51st District

Stan Caplan, 77, a Democrat and owner of a financial firm, is running for Congress representing portions of San Diego and East County in California’s 51st Congressional District.

Caplan lives in his native San Diego and previously ran for the same congressional seat as a Republican.

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

Caplan said he used AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions. “Limited AI was used to organize my platform, positions and responses. I reviewed and approved all answers personally,” he wrote.

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

I’m running because East County and San Diego working families are being crushed at the kitchen table by skyrocketing utility bills, sharp water rate hikes and cost-of-living pressures that are pricing people out of the neighborhoods they built.

After running as a Republican in 2022, I faced the reality of this district’s math: It is one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the country, and a traditional Republican has virtually no chance of defeating far-left progressive incumbent Sara Jacobs in the general election. That is why I filed as a Democrat — not to join the progressive machine, but to become the Trojan horse for common sense and fight from the inside.

What makes me the best candidate is simple: I am a small business owner with 40 years of real-world experience helping San Diego families. I offer consistent, pragmatic values and the only viable path to victory that moderates, conservatives and independents can actually support. I am the only candidate who can defeat Sara Jacobs and deliver results instead of more ideology.

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

The top three issues facing the 51st District are affordability, public safety and parental rights and cultural direction.

Skyrocketing SDG&E bills, sharp water rate hikes and proposed mileage taxes are making it nearly impossible for working families to stay in the neighborhoods they helped build. Public safety has suffered under progressive policies that have led to rising crime and visible homelessness in our communities. Parents are increasingly being shut out of decisions about their children’s education and values while extreme ideology is being pushed in schools and girls’ sports. Only our legal citizens should vote, and deserved welfare should go first to Americans in need and our veterans.

These are the 80% kitchen-table issues where most San Diegans agree. The current representation has not delivered meaningful relief. I will fight for practical solutions that put working families first instead of continuing the failed progressive approach.

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

First, I would fight aggressively to lower costs for working families by pushing back against utility rate hikes, blocking new mileage taxes and advocating for more domestic energy production to bring real relief on energy and housing.

Second, I would work to restore public safety by supporting law enforcement, demanding real accountability on homelessness and backing policies that put citizens first instead of ideology.

Third, I would protect families and fairness by championing parental rights in schools, ensuring fairness and safety in women’s sports for biological females and securing the border while treating people humanely. I would also immediately push for term limits and no federal income tax on the first $50,000 earned. My focus will be results, not rhetoric.

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)

If Democrats win control, the first priority must be fiscal responsibility, lowering costs for working families and restoring civility — working together for Americans instead of self-interest or extreme ideology.

If Republicans win, the priority should be the same: secure borders, safe streets and practical relief on energy and housing.

Regardless of which party controls Congress, the first priority should be reversing the damage from extreme progressive policies, restoring trust through accountability and returning to common sense for American families.

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)

The border crisis has placed a heavy strain on San Diego hospitals, schools and local resources, resulting in longer wait times for American citizens and higher costs for taxpayers. Strong enforcement is necessary.

My goals are clear: secure the border, end catch-and-release and prioritize American citizens and legal residents. We can remain compassionate while enforcing our laws. Legal immigration that benefits our economy should continue, but illegal immigration must stop.

To immigrants who came here legally and followed the rules: I respect and welcome you. To those here illegally: We must enforce our laws fairly and humanely.

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)

I support Israel’s right to defend itself and America’s strong alliance with our democratic partner in the Middle East. The conflict with Iran and its proxies underscores the need for strength and clarity.

Congress’s role is oversight and ensuring American interests are protected. I would support actions that degrade Iran’s nuclear capability and proxy networks, but I would demand clear objectives and regular updates to Congress. I would vote to authorize continued action only if it demonstrably makes America and Israel safer — and creates a more secure world for our children and grandchildren.

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)

The biggest relief we can offer is lowering energy and housing costs for working families. I will fight against utility rate hikes, block new mileage taxes and push for more domestic energy production. I will also go after waste and fraud in government spending — prosecuting the criminals, whether they are in political office or not — because rooting out corruption could help lead to a balanced budget and meaningful reductions in income taxes for working people.

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)

We should pursue practical environmental stewardship that also keeps energy affordable for working families. I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes nuclear, natural gas and renewables where they make economic sense. This practical approach, rather than focusing only on “climate change” rhetoric, will best reduce emissions while protecting jobs and lowering the cost of living for San Diego and East County families.

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 threats to American democracy are the erosion of trust caused by extreme political division, the weaponization of institutions and the breakdown of civil discourse. To lead this effort, I will push for term limits, stronger ethics rules, full transparency in government spending and rejection of extreme ideology from both sides. Congress must restore faith by putting people before parties and holding everyone accountable.

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 Congress and their immediate families trading individual stocks while in office. If lawmakers or their families are found guilty of insider trading, they should be punished and treated like any other criminal — exactly like the rest of us. Public service should not be a vehicle for personal financial gain. Full transparency and strong ethics rules are needed to restore public trust.

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)

Congress has not fulfilled its role as a proper check on the executive in recent years, often choosing partisan loyalty over genuine oversight. I will work to restore constitutional balance through stronger oversight, fiscal responsibility and term limits. For example, I will demand regular briefings on major executive actions and push for votes on key issues rather than letting them be buried in must-pass bills. Congress must hold any president accountable, regardless of party.

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)

Congress is seen as broken because it prioritizes partisan warfare and special interests over solving real problems that affect working families. To win back voters’ hope and trust, we must deliver results on affordability, safety and border security. Personally, I have a clear plan: I will focus on the 80% kitchen-table issues, practice civility, work across the aisle when possible and refuse to bow to party pressure. I am for the people in the 51st District first — not any political machine.