Matt Gunderson, a Republican and car dealership owner, is running for Congress representing 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? As a small business owner, a political outsider, and married father of four daughters who is pro-choice and believes that abortion should be safe, legal and rare — I cannot sit back and watch our state and country continue to struggle. I built three successful businesses in California and created hundreds of jobs. I’m running for Congress to bring common sense and a fresh perspective to problem solving in Washington. Business as usual is failing. We need new solutions to old problems. We must work to strengthen our economy, secure our border, restore public safety and protect our beautiful Southern California coastline. I am committed to putting the people of the district first and politics last, bringing a fresh, common-sense approach to the challenges we face. What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally? Reduce inflation, reduce the California cost of living and strengthen the economy. Secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl and other drugs. Protect and preserve Social Security and Medicare. What are the first 3 things you would do in your first term in Congress? In my first term in Congress, I will prioritize securing our borders and putting an end to reckless federal spending that has left our economy broken and has lit the fire of uncontrollable inflation driving up the cost of living. I am committed to real solutions that will stabilize our financial future, lower inflation, and make life more affordable for hardworking families. I will also ensure that we protect the future of the next generation, who deserve a government that truly puts their well-being first and stops jeopardizing their opportunities with short-sighted, self-serving policies. What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California? We must secure funding and authorization for a long-term, permanent solution to our sand erosion challenges up and down our southern California coastline. Dating back to 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers holds an obligation to the citizens of Southern California to remediate the negative impact they have had on our coastal sand flow. This also exacerbates our challenges with coastal bluff preservation. In tandem, sand restoration and coastal bluff preservation must be addressed with significant investment for a long-term solution, rather than costly, short-term projects. How should U.S. migration and asylum policy change, what should guide it, and what specifically will you pursue in Congress? The crisis at our southern border isn’t about politics; it’s a public safety, human rights, public health and economic emergency. The lack of a secure border has resulted in fentanyl and crime in every community in Southern California. I plan to work to secure the border on day one in Congress. It’s time for action, not just words. We must reinstate the Trump and Obama border policies that Biden/Harris relaxed and confront this crisis collectively to protect our nation’s safety from human traffickers, terrorists, and drug smugglers. 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? Iran has escalated on seven fronts since Oct. 7, with Hamas in Gaza being just the first. Hezbollah is Iran’s flagship terrorist organization and has been attacking Israel since October 8. Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have attacked U.S. forces and Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen wage daily warfare against the U.S. Navy and international shipping. Iran continues to destabilize Jordan and back terrorists in Judea and Samaria. All the while, Iran pursues a nuclear weapons capability and already launched direct attacks against Israel. We need to restore maximum pressure on Iran and provide maximum support to Israel. Would you support federal statutory restrictions on, or protections of, abortion rights? Which, and to what extent? I am a pro-choice Republican who believes abortion should be safe, legal and rare. I oppose any federal ban on abortion. The Supreme Court has placed this issue in the hands of each state. California voters spoke clearly when they passed Proposition 1 in 2022. Would you support or oppose stricter federal gun laws and background checks? Which, and to what extent? Our communities are facing rising crime and increased violence, but this is a human issue, not a gun issue. We must address our mental health crisis, especially among our youth before we begin to consider more gun laws. Unfortunately, California isn’t even willing to enforce the current laws we have on the books to curb crime and hold criminals accountable; let’s begin by enforcing the existing laws we have available.