First Lady weighs in on San Diego elections

First Lady Michelle Obama is the star of new television and radio advertisements airing in San Diego.

While she doesn’t mention a specific candidate or race, the ads appear aimed at getting out the vote against Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Duncan Hunter and ensuring that Rep. Scott Peters is reelected.

The San Diego ad is being paid for by the California Democratic Party, and comes as Issa is in an expectedly tight race with Democrat Col. Doug Applegate. Issa, who endorsed Trump after previously backing Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, has signed on to the Republican nominee’s national security advisory board.

Hunter has been under fire for illegal campaign spending and suddenly Thursday repaid $49,000 he used personally from campaign contributions for  $229 charge at a Disneyland gift shop; more than $2,000 on restaurants, hotels and train travel in Rome and Florence during the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday; and $1,300 spent at the Cardiff-by-the-Sea restaurant that provides lunches to Hunter’s children at their private school. His son also racked up significant fees on video games. Democrat Patrick Malloy, an Escondido realtor, opposes.

Peters is perennially considered endangered at the outset of an election cycle because of the make-up of his district, but is not considered vulnerable on Tuesday.

“San Diego, everything we’ve accomplished over the past eight years is at stake in this election,” she says in the 30-second television ad. “That’s why we need to elect Democrats who share our values. Our votes on Tuesday will determine the path of San Diego County and our country not just for the next four years, but for generations to come. So please, vote for Democrats for Congress this Tuesday, November 8th.”

The ad is one of three that Obama has cut for California; the others are for Bryan Caforio, who is trying to defeat GOP Rep. Steve Knight, and Michael Eggman, who is trying to oust GOP Rep. Jeff Denham.