Courtesy of Matt Gunderson campaign
PHOENIX — A California congressional race just got more competitive, with Cook Political Report shifting it from likely Democratic to lean Democratic — a key indication the seat could help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The rating change comes as a recent GOP-sponsored poll shows 49th District candidate Matt Gunderson — a pro-choice Republican — within striking distance of Democratic incumbent Rep. Mike Levin, at 45% to 46%.
“Political prognosticators moved this race because they, along with Pelosi’s House Majority PAC, know that Mike Levin is in real trouble of losing this race because of his dishonesty with voters,” Gunderson told The Post Monday.
That may be why his Democratic opponent is sending out mailers describing himself as “moderate and pragmatic” and promising to be a vessel for “practical bipartisan leadership.”
These moderate mailers are being sent to Republican voters in the district, a source tells The Post.
Gunderson says constituents should not buy the Democrat’s pitch.
“These mailers are yet another example of how Levin tells his constituents one thing and does another, just like he claims to be a moderate but votes 99% of the time with the Progressive Caucus,” Gunderson said.
Levin has attempted to tie his Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump, referring to him as “my Trump Republican opponent.”
“This year, we need a Democratic House of Representatives to balance the potential Republican control of the Senate and the Presidency,” the Levin mailer said, which explicitly highlighted the likelihood of Trump’s return to the White House.
“Over the weekend, our Trump Republican opponent campaigned with MAGA Speaker Mike Johnson,” Levin tweeted.
“A vote for my opponent means another vote for Mike Johnson and Donald Trump’s policies. It would mean a vote against abortion rights and a vote against protecting our planet from climate change,” the Democrat continued.
Despite Levin’s attempts to paint him as a Trump acolyte, Gunderson expressed moderate views on abortion and a commonsense approach to winning his Orange County- and San Diego-based district in previous conversations with The Post.
“I’m a pro-choice Republican. I believe abortion should be safe, legal, and rare,” he said this summer. “So when we remove that topic off of the Democratic’s playbook, we can have a serious conversation about securing the border. We can have a serious conversation about addressing inflation and the cost of living.”
The Levin campaign did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.