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The race in Southern California's most Republican congressional district Tuesday will test the strength of partisanship as GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter tries to overcome the stigma of facing federal corruption charges.
Former White House Obama helps Ammar Campa-Najjar was largely unknown in the eastern district of San Diego until he and his wife were paid more than $ 250,000 in taxes.
Campa-Najjar, 29, has first-time Democratic candidate, grabbed attention because of the charges and has raced prejudice and xenophobia.
Hunter, 41, who first won the seat 10 years ago after his father stepped down, has called the charges a political witch hunt. He and his wife have pleaded not guilty.
Hunter is one of two Republican congressmen seeking to win re-election while under indictment, a rare feat in U.S. history. The other is Rep. Chris Collins of New York, who is with insider trading. Both representatives ran low-key campaigns that largely avoided the media and relied on attack ads.
The campaigns of both lawmakers, who were early supporters of President Donald Trump, are considered a fresh test of partisanship in the Trump era and whether they will be left to suspect the GOP remain in power.
The region east of San Diego was one of the California Democracy Districts that were targeted to pick up 23 seats nationwide to win control of the House. Registered Republicans have a nearly 15-point edge over Democrats in the Inland District that went double digits for Trump in 2016.
In the June primary – before the indictment – Hunter received 47 percent to Campa-Najjar's 17 percent.
But in the last month, polls suggest the race was tightening and Campa-Najjar's campaign contributions almost doubled after the indictment.
Hunter, a Marine veteran, stepped up his attacks, raising questions about Campa-Najjar's Palestinian father who served in the Palestine Liberation Organization, and his grandfather who was involved in the 1972 attack on the Munich Olympics that killed 11 Israeli athletes.
Campa-Najjar was raised by his Mexican-American mother in San Diego and said he had little to do with his Palestinian father. His grandfather was killed by Israeli commandos before he was born.
Hunter's campaign ad claimed his rival, who was given security clearances to work in the Obama administration, is a "security risk."
Dozens of national security experts badailed the Hunter ad as racist.
It's unclear how effective the attacks have been in that district Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base and has a large veteran population.
Campa-Najjar Trump administration on job creation and infrastructure improvements.
His campaign ads call "embarrbadment and ask voters" to "put country over party."
On the eve of the Election, Campa-Najjar sentenced to what he called a "farewell letter" to Hunter, who criticized the congressman to meet him at a press conference.
"Neither of our fathers are running for Congress," he wrote. "For this reason and so many others, I believe you are unfit to serve."
Trustee of Trump's Border, The Wall of Trump's Border.
His spokesman Michael Harrison said in response to Campa-Najjar's letter, "It's hobby hour over there."
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