Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat, environmental attorney and three-term incumbent, is running for re-election to represent California’s 49th Congressional District, which spans coastal North County and southern Orange County. To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? I’m running for reelection to continue fighting for our district in Washington, D.C., to bring more federal resources to improve the lives of residents and to work on pragmatic bipartisan solutions to our country’s pressing challenges. I have a proven track record of delivering results for the 49th including bringing over $930 million in federal funding for projects throughout our district and passing 30 bipartisan laws to improve veterans’ services, lower costs, tackle climate change and more. I am the best candidate in this race because I have the experience, record and knowledge of navigating a complex, divided Congress and working across the aisle to deliver results. What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally? The top 3 issues facing our district and California are: Cost of living: The prices for housing, health care and groceries are still too high. I voted for landmark laws that brought down inflation, capped insulin costs at $35 per month and capped out-of-pocket medical expenses for seniors. I support legislation to hold corporations accountable for price-gouging consumers at the pump and supermarket and for rising home insurance premiums. Climate change: We are seeing the effects of climate change all around us. I support a transition to clean, renewable energy to move us away from fossil fuels, and I voted for historic investments in projects to mitigate the effects of climate change. Border security: I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act, a comprehensive immigration reform and border protection legislation to address border security challenges, provide a solution to undocumented immigration and strengthen our workforce. What are the first 3 things you would do in your next term in Congress? I’ll continue working on priorities that are crucial to the 49th including: Removal of spent nuclear fuel: One of my top priorities has been the safe removal of spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre out of the region. I secured $93 million in federal funding to restart a program to find communities that want the economic benefits that will come with taking the fuel. Completion of sand replenishment projects: Our beaches are shrinking and we need more sand replenishment projects to ensure their viability for future generations. I fought for the replenishment projects that have been completed in Encinitas, Solana Beach and San Clemente and will fight to bring more across the district. Protect the LOSSAN corridor: I’ll continue to fight for more federal resources to protect the LOSSAN corridor, the second busiest rail corridor in the country. What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California? I’m fighting for policies that sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating jobs and growing our economy. Two years ago I helped pass the largest ever investment in our clean energy and clean transportation infrastructure. Now I’ve introduced legislation to maximize that investment by bolstering our electricity grid to ensure clean electricity can get to our homes from where it is generated. I’ve also been pushing for legislation to facilitate smart development of clean energy on our federal lands. My legislation will make it easier to build solar and wind projects while protecting recreation areas and sensitive ecosystems. How should U.S. migration and asylum policy change, what should guide it, and what specifically will you pursue in Congress? We must give Customs and Border Protection the resources it needs to secure the border and ensure orderly processing of asylum seekers. I voted for increased funding for Border Patrol, law enforcement and related community organizations to provide them with the tools they need. I am a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Dignity Act, the most promising comprehensive immigration reform and border protection legislation. It would address border security challenges, provide a solution for undocumented immigration, and strengthen our workforce. This bill is gaining momentum in the House, and it is a pragmatic starting point to our border and immigration challenges. It’s been nearly a year since Hamas attacks in Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, which has recently escalated conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah that threatens another war. What is your stance on the war in Gaza and what the U.S.’s role in the region should be? The U.S. must support our democratic allies under attack, including Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. I voted for aid to Israel to defeat Hamas, alongside humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza. I also support diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Hamas’s hostages — including Americans — paired with a ceasefire. I was frustrated that Hamas demonstrated little will to accept a ceasefire for Gazans and that Benjamin Netanyahu moved the goalposts during negotiations. We must move towards a two-state solution that gives both peoples the chance to live in peace, security, and dignity. That requires new leadership on both sides. Would you support federal statutory restrictions on, or protections of, abortion rights? Which, and to what extent? I strongly support abortion rights, and I am the only candidate in this race endorsed by Planned Parenthood. My opponent called the proposition to protect reproductive rights in California “disgusting.” Women should have the right to make their own health care decisions, and the government should not dictate what a woman can or cannot do with her own body. I fully support enshrining Roe v. Wade into federal law, and I have cosponsored and voted for legislation that would do just this. I also support legislation creating federal protections for IVF so that every parent can start a family. Would you support or oppose stricter federal gun laws and background checks? Which, and to what extent? We have a gun violence epidemic in America that is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 18. It is unacceptable, and we do not have to live like this. I supported the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, but we must do more. I support an assault weapons ban as well as universal and enhanced background checks. I also introduced bipartisan legislation to incentivize the use of safe storage devices to reduce gun violence, accidental shootings and suicide.