Laguna Hills, California – The businessman, who says sitting on the sidelines is not his style, is aiming to take back one of California’s battleground congressional districts from the Democrats at a time when crime and immigration have become central issues across the state.
Matt Gunderson, a Republican who has built multiple car dealerships from the ground up and is chairman of the board of a local hospital foundation, says his plan to flip California’s 49th Congressional District to the Republican Party starts with community engagement in Southern California.
“The reality is, there’s something in my DNA that believes public service is valuable and that more people should participate, but too few people participate,” Gunderson said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I can’t stand by and watch what’s happening in California and not decide that things have to change.”
Trump vows to ‘save’ heavily Democratic New York City at massive, historic rally in the Bronx
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Mike Levin (left) and Republican businessman Matt Gunderson (right). (Getty Images/Rep. Gunderson)
“The California I moved to 25 years ago is completely different from the California my four daughters grew up in,” he said. “I can’t just stand by and watch without jumping in and trying to help us move in the right direction.”
Gunderson sold his business in 2021 to deepen his involvement in the community and support Republican candidates in traditional battleground areas of the Democratic-dominated state.
He first ran for political office in 2022, narrowly losing a state Senate race, but ultimately decided to take his desire to solve the problems plaguing California to the next level of government.
Crime is one of those problems, but Gunderson said the solution is “very simple.”
“If we don’t punish crime, it just makes it more emboldened and empowers criminals,” he told Fox. “Zero bail is a huge problem because it allows the same criminals to keep coming in and out. We have to stop this.”
Biden’s abortion policies are being overturned by businesswomen’s support for pro-life groups
Republican businessman and congressional candidate Matt Gunderson talks with voters during a campaign event. (Congressman Gunderson)
Gunderson said police have been “demoralized,” “hamstrung” and unable to do their jobs since the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We tolerate an outrageous level of theft. With no retribution or penalties, what incentive does it give criminals to stop? I think people are finally at a complete loss,” he said, voicing his support for repealing Proposition 47, a state ballot measure passed in 2014 that eased penalties for certain crimes.
Gunderson said another issue that needs to be addressed is the ongoing crisis at the southern border, which he blames entirely on President Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“Biden issued an executive order on his first day in office opening up the border, and this is a huge problem because California has now become the epicenter of illegal border crossings,” he said, praising Texas and Arizona for taking steps to address the issue at the state level.
“The city of Sacramento under the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom and our country under the leadership of Governor Joe Biden have done nothing to tighten California’s borders,” he said.
Kennedy’s top aide resigns from post, citing ‘hostile and divisive atmosphere’
Matt Gunderson, a Republican businessman and congressional candidate; (Congressman Gunderson)
Gunderson called this a public health, civil rights and economic crisis for Southern California, warning that deadly fentanyl continues to flow across the border and that illegal immigration is straining health care and education resources for American taxpayers.
“I came to California 25 years ago, I didn’t come to buy a business, I came to start a business, and I started three businesses and created hundreds of jobs. So I know personally how California politics and the one-party system in Sacramento suffocates entrepreneurs and small businesses,” Gunderson said when asked why he is the best choice for his district’s voters.
He argued that excessive taxation and regulation worsened economic conditions and prices, forcing people to leave the state and causing permanent damage to local communities.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) speaks at a press conference outside the Capitol on May 12, 2022, about the Investment Protection Act. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“I went through rigorous schooling, started a business and worked with others in the community to build a better, stronger community. I think that gives me a very different perspective than environmental lawyers who are stuck in bureaucracy and think government is the solution to all our problems,” she said, referring to her opponent, incumbent Democratic Rep. Mike Levin.
“I don’t think government is always the solution. Government has an appropriate role. But the more decisions are made on issues close to home, the better for us,” he added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Levin’s campaign for comment.
Election analysts have rated California’s 49th Congressional District as likely to go Democratic, but it is expected to be the most competitive race in the state this year.
Get the latest 2024 campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
