Former California State Senator Denise Ducheny is running to represent the 51st congressional district, which includes Chula Vista and National City.
Ducheny, 60, was born in Los Angeles and said she’s concerned about the effects Washington policies have on the district.
Ducheny, who studied Spanish in Mexico and economics in Sweden, outlined her focal points, starting with the border.
“It’s important for people to understand border economies and how we work with Mexico,” she said. “Border wait times are still a big concern. It will benefit everyone to fully fund a San Ysidro or Calexico port of entry. It creates jobs and improves jobs on both sides of the border.”
Affordable healthcare is another important issue, she said.
“We forget sometimes that we are a wealthy country and state and we ought to be able to bring affordable healthcare to our community,” Ducheny said. “…We’ve got to keep these doors open for preventive care and keep the costs down to avoid more emergency care visits.”
As far as solutions to better education, Ducheny said at the federal level, there should be more for special education.
“We can do more with certifying teachers so people have funding to take a program and do professional development,” she said. “We ought to create incentive for smaller classes.”
Ducheny said, since in office, she’s been responsive to constituents and the communities they represent.
“One of the pluses for me is I have really strong relationships with those who serve already,” she said. “Many were colleagues of mine from before.”
