Three candidates are running to replace the termed-out Brian Jones in California Senate District 40, a massive district that covers San Marcos, Escondido, Poway, Santee, Alpine, Fallbrook and Ramona, as well as several northern neighborhoods in the city of San Diego.<\/p>\n
Former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott is the lone Democrat running for the seat currently held by Jones, a Republican. The two Republicans in the race are Ed Musgrove, a San Marcos city council member and former sheriff\u2019s captain who\u2019s been endorsed by Jones, and Kristie Bruce-Lane, a businesswoman and nonprofit leader who has twice been runner-up for state assembly seats and was previously elected to the board of directors for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District.<\/p>\n
The top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary will move on to the general election in November. Given the candidates\u2019 party affiliations, the primary is expected to function as an elimination round between Musgrove<\/a> and Bruce-Lane<\/a> to determine which of the Republicans will face Elliott<\/a> in November.<\/p>\n While Musgrove has been endorsed<\/a> by Jones and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, Bruce-Lane has been endorsed<\/a> by Carl DeMaio, a state assembly member and longtime San Diego political activist, as well as Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, one of the leading Republican candidates for governor.<\/p>\n The Republican Party of San Diego County did not endorse either candidate<\/a> for the primary.<\/p>\n Ed Musgrove<\/p>\n Musgrove, 63, lives in the Twin Oaks Valley community in San Marcos. He grew up in Poway, graduating from Poway High School before joining the Army. Upon leaving the military, he joined the county Sheriff\u2019s Office, working in a variety of roles, including as captain of the Santee station.<\/p>\n Musgrove points to his two years as the sheriff\u2019s emergency response manager as being particularly relevant to his Senate candidacy, given the dangers that wildfires pose across California and in the district he hopes to represent, which covers much of rural San Diego County. The district also covers all or parts of Carmel Mountain, Mira Mesa, Miramar, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Pe\u00f1asquitos, Scripps Ranch and University City.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do we conduct evacuations? How do we safeguard first responders? I\u2019ve done all of that,\u201d Musgrove said in a recent interview with the Union-Tribune. \u201cThese are not foreign concepts to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Musgrove credited that experience as a big reason why he\u2019s endorsed by the California Professional Firefighters union and the unions that represent San Diego police officers, San Diego County sheriff\u2019s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and Cal Fire firefighters.<\/p>\n On top of the physical dangers posed by wildfires, Musgrove said California is \u201cin a real situation with our homeowners insurance\u201d when it comes to companies not covering residents in fire-prone areas. Musgrove said his own policy was not renewed for that very reason, and it\u2019s an issue he hopes to tackle if elected.<\/p>\n If voters do send Musgrove or Bruce-Lane to Sacramento, either would be part of a small minority \u2014 the state Senate is currently composed of 30 Democrats and 10 Republicans.<\/p>\n Musgrove said there are enough issues of common interest that he could work across the aisle with Democrats, something he said he has experience doing at the San Diego Association of Governments.<\/p>\n He said his wide range of experience as a military veteran, a former law enforcement officer and an elected city council member set him apart from Bruce-Lane in the battle between the two Republicans.<\/p>\n And yes, the Senate hopeful is related to Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove; Ed is Joe\u2019s uncle.<\/p>\n Kristie Bruce-Lane<\/strong><\/p>\n Bruce-Lane, 53, lives in San Diego\u2019s 4S Ranch neighborhood, and her campaign website describes her as a businesswoman who has had a \u201csuccessful career in agriculture and health care.\u201d She is also the founder and CEO of The Thumbprint Project Foundation, a nonprofit<\/a> whose stated mission is to aid \u201cin the transitional process of homeless children who have been impacted by childhood domestic violence.\u201d<\/p>\n