Hunting for District 52

Is another political dynasty in the making?

Those doubting Rep. Duncan L. Hunter’s (R-Calif.) commitment to a run for the presidency haven’t considered his pending retirement from the House of Representatives — a move that will allow him to focus entirely on a presidential campaign. His retirement will also leave a vacant seat in District 52, the area surrounding San Diego’s eastern suburbs. Among those who have already declared their candidacy is Hunter’s son, Duncan D. Hunter, who announced his campaign in April.

While the younger Hunter may be known on the national stage only through his father, who has taken his time during debates to mention his son’s military service in Iraq, he will still be facing a problematic campaign – the young Hunter, due to Marine Corps policy, will not be able to campaign for his own seat in the House.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, Hunter enlisted in the Marines, enrolling in the Officer’s Candidate School in March 2002. He graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant and served two tours of duty in Iraq before being honorably discharged from active duty in September 2005.

Following his discharge, Hunter moved to Boise, Idaho where he started a successful real estate business. This past spring he announced his candidacy for the seat his father will soon vacate.

But shortly afterwards, he was recalled to active duty, this time in Afghanistan.

The campaign pushes on, campaign manager Dave Gilliard said, but without a candidate.

“It’s been a team effort to run a campaign without a candidate," he said. "We hope to be a full-fledged campaign when the candidate returns.”

The campaign has already thrown rallies and fundraisers, which have included appearances by his father, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Rep. Jim Saxon (R-N.J.) and Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz). The campaign committee includes 70 Republican congressmen. Hunter’s wife, Margaret, has also been actively involved through speaking engagements, talk shows and the campaign blog.

Despite the difficulties of running a campaign with and absent candidate, the Hunter’s absence for military reasons may prove beneficial.

Veterans make up approximately 16.3 percent of San Diego’s population, compared to the national average of 12.7 percent. This military presence is a reminder of the city’s long history as a military center, and is represented in the district’s congressional campaigns by Hunter, Democrat Jim Hester and Democrat Mike Lumpkin — a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL respectively — who are all running for the seat. With the field so crowded with veterans, however, Hunter's military service may not be as much of an advantage as one would expect.

The younger Hunter’s life has been tailored for a career in politics. Growing up the son of a congressman, as he was only four when his father was first elected a state representative, he graduated from Granite Hills High School — one of the largest high schools in the district — before attending San Diego State University to study business.

But Hunter's candidacy is not a sure thing. The heavily Republican district Hunter grew up in and hopes to win has several candidates seeking that party’s nomination. They include Santee City Council member Brian W. Jones, Ken King Jr. who ran for Congress before by challenging Brian Billbray (Calif-50), and a rumored candidacy from radio personality Mark Larson. The district has voted over 60 percent Republican in the past two elections and 46 percent of its voters are registered Republicans.

The 52nd district is a classic suburban Republican district where most of the residents are white, well-educated and rarely live in poverty. It is located in the eastern suburbs of San Diego, which includes El Cajon, Alpine, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Poway.

Although both Hunters spent time in the armed forces, have identical political beliefs and share the same name, the younger Hunter has made his own choices, according to Gilliard, who said Congressman Hunter was surprised with his son’s decision to run for Congress.

But Hunter may not want to separate himself from his father just yet.

His position as the son of an incumbent congressman gives him name recognition, giving him a leg up over the rest of the field. Will that be enough, though?