Hunter, wooing cultural conservatives, rolls out National Right to Life endorsement

Republican Duncan D. Hunter, running to replace retiring Rep. Duncan Hunter Sr., has won the endorsement of the National Right to Life Political Action Committee, his campaign announced late Thursday.

"The countless Americans who respect the sanctity of innocent human life appreciate your willingness to serve.  This willingness to take up the fight for life in the U.S. Congress makes us proud to endorse you," wrote David O’Steen, the PAC’s executive director, in a letter to Hunter.

Hunter, a businessman and Iraq war veteran, is promoting the National Right to Life endorsement in a San Diego-area district that, especially in its inland areas, is home to many religious and culturally conservative voters.

Also running in the June 3 Republican primary are Brian Jones, a Santee City Councilman and minister, and Bob Watkins, a businessman and the president of the San Diego County Board of Education. Democrats Mike Lumpkin, a retired Navy Seal, and Valerie Butcher, a former El Cajon Planning Commission Chair, are also running for the seat.

The district, which Hunter represented for 14 consecutive terms, is largely conservative. George W. Bush won 57 and 61 percent of the vote in the district in his 2000 and 2004 presidential runs.