Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed the quote in the fourth to last paragraph. The quote was said by Brian Maryott, and the story has been corrected. We regret the error.
SAN DIEGO — President Joe Biden traveled to San Diego Thursday evening to attend a get-out-the-vote event for Rep. Mike Levin in Oceanside.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria were among those who greeted Biden when he arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar aboard Air Force One shortly after 6 p.m. The president then traveled north to MiraCosta College to stump for Levin in the final days of the election.
The president’s trip is part of a four-state, three-day campaign swing. Biden’s first stop was Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he shared the stage with Democratic Gov. Michelle Griffin.
Levin is in a tight race with Brian Maryott in the 49th District. The race is concerning for Democrats, as they face the GOP possibly getting control of Congress.
The 49th District is a newly-redrawn district that saw some territory lost in San Diego County and added territory in Orange County. Levin is seeking his third term representing the district.
“It’s great to be with Congressman Mike,” Biden told supporters Thursday night. “This guy delivers. He delivers. He lowers costs for families, caring for our veterans, protecting the environment. These are big deals. Rebuilding infrastructure, protecting social security and Medicare. And he’s fighting to protect democracy.”
The biggest applause line of the night was when Levin talked about “federally codifying a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body.”
“We can get it done,” Levin added.
The Levin campaign has portrayed Maryott as a pro-Trump, anti-abortion extremist, while Maryott calls the president’s visit a “last-minute attempt by D.C. Democrats to sweep their policy failures under the rug.”
“They have done nothing but destroy our energy independence, run prices through the roof with 40-year highs in inflation, 20-year high mortgage rates now,” Maryott told FOX 5 Thursday.
The race is a rematch from 2020, when Levin defeated Maryott by six points. As the campaigns have spent tens of millions of dollars on the race, right now some pollsters consider it too close to call.
Maryott, who served as mayor of San Juan Capistrano with a financial planning background, says the economy is just one reason why his opponent is in a panic.
“Does not understand the economy, does not understand the consequences of his votes and his rhetoric, calling for police to reimagine and defund policing,” Maryott continued. “We’ve seen the results of that. San Diego has seen major spikes in crime in every category that appear to be here to stay ’cause they’ve gone on for two years now.
“We’ve been named by federal officials the epicenter of fentanyl trafficking, which is now the No. 1 cause of death for those 17 and younger in both San Diego and Orange counties and advocating for trillions of dollars in borrowed and printed money to be spent on fantasy ideas that are untested.”
Just a mile away from the college, Maryott attended a counter-rally held by Reform California’s Carl DeMaio. Leaders and supporters said they wanted to send their message to the president and Levin that their policies are hurting San Diegans.
Biden is expected to speak in Carlsbad Friday. He will then travel to the Chicago area before heading to Pennsylvania Saturday.
Jason Sloss and Jaime Chambers contributed to this story.
