The Latest News

“We need pro-worker champions who won’t just win back Congress from Trump, but win for working people. Marni von Wilpert is that champion. As a labor lawyer, she held lawbreaking corporations accountable to win working people fair wages and a fair shot to get ahead. Marni stands with the people who punch a clock, swing a hammer and build this country – not the corporate interests trying to rig the system against them. That’s our kind of leader – and that’s why the San Diego Building Trades Unions endorse Marni von Wilpert for Congress.”

“Marni von Wilpert is the fighter we need to stand up to Trump’s attacks on equality, healthcare, and the middle class. She’s been a tireless advocate for working families and for making our communities more affordable. I’m proud to endorse her as we fight to pass the Equality Act and build a country where everyone can live with dignity, fairness, and opportunity.”

“As a civil rights attorney in the Deep South, Marni von Wilpert stood up for people living with HIV and AIDS, fighting for their right to healthcare, housing, and dignity. She will bring that same courage and commitment to Washington, and I’m proud to endorse her for Congress.”

“I know that excessive force and chaos do not make our communities safer. All it does is erode trust and undermine real public safety," von Wilpert said at Monday’s council meeting. "Government power must be exercised with restraint, with accountability and respect for human dignity. Not through fear or chaos that put us further at risk,”

“It is not ok for families in our communities to only survive. They deserve to THRIVE! From the rising cost of living to the protection of our human and civil rights, we must demand that our leaders stand up for the dignity and equality of everyone. We need leaders who will fight to lower costs, expand opportunity, and protect our inalienable rights. Marni von Wilpert is that fighter, and I’m proud to endorse her for Congress in California’s 48th District.”

San Diego Councilmember Marni von Wilpert has taken the early lead among Democrats in one of the most-watched congressional contests in the country.

The race to unseat Rep. Darrell Issa in the 48th District heated up markedly after California’s passage of Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s answer to district gerrymandering in Texas.

“As Donald Trump and Darrell Issa strip Planned Parenthood of funding and continue their assault on women’s reproductive freedom, we need proven leaders in Congress who will fight back. That is why I am proud to endorse Marni von Wilpert for Congress. A champion for reproductive rights, Marni protected access to abortion care in San Diego after the Dobbs decision, and she is the only candidate I trust to defeat anti-choice Republican Darrell Issa."

Von Wilpert cited federal agents’ recent fatal shootings of two residents in Minneapolis over the past few weeks — Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 — which have sparked nationwide protests. 

“Escondido approved a contract letting ICE agents train with weapons on city property. After Minnesota, this is unacceptable,” Von Wilpert said. “Local cities should protect our communities — not help train ICE to open fire.”

California Democrats delivered a resounding vote of confidence in Marni von Wilpert, giving her 68.83% of the vote at the California Democratic Party’s pre-endorsement vote — an overwhelming margin that underscores the extent to which Democrats are uniting behind Marni as the clear choice to flip CA-48 and defeat Republican incumbent Darrell Issa.

“From protecting workers' rights as a labor lawyer with the National Labor Relations Board, to helping write the PRO Act, and passing San Diego’s first city-wide PLA, Marni von Wilpert has never backed down from fighting for the working class. Now, as Donald Trump guts funding for vital research at our universities — that saves lives and powers our economy — Marni is the leader we trust to fight back, protect our union rights, and build a system that puts working-class Americans first."

“At a time when Republicans are trying to erase the LGBTQ community and deny our rights and representation, we must stick together. Marni von Wilpert has a proven record of standing up to extremists, delivering for her constituents, and winning tough races. She represents one of our best chances to flip a majority-making seat from Red to Blue — and elect an LGBTQ woman to Congress in 2026. Marni has my full trust and support in her campaign.”

“Escondido Democrats are fired up to take back Congress — and fired up for Marni. Marni stands out because she’s won tough races and real victories for working people — from enforcing fair pay laws as a labor lawyer in the Obama Administration to raising the minimum wage in San Diego. In 2026, nothing matters more than defeating Darrell Issa and making life affordable again for working families — and Marni has what it takes to do both. Escondido Democrats are with Marni all the way.”

“Marni von Wilpert is the clear choice for working people and all those under attack by Trump’s cruel, chaotic policies — women, immigrants, seniors, and the working class. She’s a labor lawyer who’s defended workers’ dignity and fair pay, a city leader who’s lowered costs and raised wages, and a lifelong public servant since her days in the Peace Corps. SEIU trusts Marni to stand with workers, strengthen unions, and fight for an America where working people can get ahead — and stay ahead.”

“Marni understands that strong schools and affordable communities go hand in hand. As a former School Board President, I know Marni’s work to launch San Diego County’s first-of-its-kind teacher housing grant initiative is exactly the kind of leadership we need—practical, focused on solutions, and rooted in a deep commitment to public education and teachers.”

“Marni von Wilpert has done what too many in Washington have failed to do: take on the gun lobby and deliver real results that make our communities safer. In Congress, I’ve worked to strengthen background checks, restore the assault weapons ban, and expand red flag laws—and I know firsthand how tough those fights are. When San Diego faced a surge in ghost guns, Marni led the effort to ban them and refused to back down when the NRA sued her. That’s the type of leadership we need in Congress."

San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, the leading Democrat running in California’s 48th Congressional District, continued her grassroots momentum today with a resounding win in the San Diego County Democratic Party Convention straw poll for CA-48. Von Wilpert earned 53.8% of the vote – outperforming the nearest candidate by nearly a three-to-one margin.

“LPAC is proud to endorse Marni von Wilpert in CA-48 because she is a fearless champion for reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ equality. Marni has a proven record of standing up to extremism, protecting our rights, and delivering real results for her community. She is exactly the kind of leader Congress needs.”

“Marni von Wilpert knows the challenges of running a city and what it means to fight for her constituents. She has a proven record and the right values to deliver for Oceanside and the entire 48th District, which is why I’m proud to endorse her.”

“Marni von Wilpert has a heart for service and the fire to fight for the America we all believe in. From the Peace Corps to the courtroom to City Hall, Marni has spent her life standing up for everyday people — protecting workers, fighting the gun lobby, and fighting for equality for all of us."

“The Fallbrook Democratic Club is thrilled to endorse Marni von Wilpert for Congress in the 48th District! Marni grew up in North San Diego County; served in the Peace Corps in Botswana; opened a legal clinic to combat discrimination in the South; was a civil prosecutor in the City Attorney’s Office; currently Councilmember for District 5 where she authored California’s first ban on untraceable ghost guns. Wow! It’s time to say goodbye to Darrell Issa. Go Marni!"

“Councilmember Marni von Wilpert has a proven track record of taking on the most powerful to deliver for San Diego. From standing up for workers’ rights to holding polluters, corporate price gougers and the opioid industry accountable, Marni has shown she will take on the tough fights. She is a battle-tested leader who has kept her community safe by banning the sale of untraceable ghost guns, securing funding for affordable housing, and fighting to save taxpayer money."

“Now that Prop 50 has passed, the stage is set. All eyes are on California — and the path to a Democratic House majority runs straight through CA-48. I’m ready to take this fight to every neighborhood, hold Issa accountable for raising costs and siding with extremists, and deliver a fairer, safer, more affordable future for working families.”

Today, San Diego City Councilmember and the leading Democrat running in California’s 48th Congressional District, Marni von Wilpert, announced the endorsement of Erin Edwards, former Riverside City Councilmember and a respected advocate for housing affordability, environmental sustainability, and LGBTQ equality.

“The Painters and Allied Trades are proud to stand with Marni von Wilpert in California's 48th District — a former National Labor Relations Board attorney who helped draft the PRO Act and has spent her career protecting workers’ rights to organize. Marni has always held corporations accountable when they break the law, and we know she’ll keep fighting for working people in Congress.”

“This poll confirms what we already know — voters in California’s 48th District are hungry for change,” said Marni von Wilpert. “As the only Democrat in this race who’s flipped a seat red to blue, I know what it will take to beat Darrell Issa, and this poll shows that we have the strongest campaign to do it. I will keep working hard, keep showing up, and keep up the momentum so that in November, we finally flip this district and take back the People’s House.”

“Marni von Wilpert has been a champion for working people as a City Councilmember, Deputy City Attorney, and appellate attorney with the National Labor Relations Board," said MEA General Manager Michael Zucchet. “Congress needs people who will fight for the working class, and Marni has been doing that her whole career. MEA is proud to endorse Marni von Wilpert to be our next Congresswoman and is excited to work with her on advancing the rights of workers throughout the country.”

“As a San Diego City Council member, Marni von Wilpert authored and helped pass two landmark pieces of legislation: San Diego’s ban on ghost guns, and a law that ensures that the City of San Diego only purchases firearms from dealers who comply with state and federal firearm laws. Marni von Wilpert took on the gun lobby and won – making our communities safer."

“I’m thrilled to endorse Marni von Wilpert for Congress,” said Congresswoman Balint. “Marni has shown what it means to be a true public servant — fighting for working families, protecting reproductive freedom, and advancing LGBTQ+ equality. We need her voice in Washington to take on extremism, defend our communities, and deliver real results. I look forward to working alongside her in Congress.”

“I’m watching things that I’ve built my career on, my life on, be crushed by President Trump,” von Wilpert told The Advocate in a recent interview. “As a young woman in this fight, I’ve lost my rights under Roe v. Wade after Trump was elected the first time, and as an LGBTQ woman, I’m worried about losing my rights to equality under the law. That’s why I decided to jump in and fight.”

“I'm proud to support my friend and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert for Congress,” said Atkins. “After decades serving our community, I deeply value leaders who put people first — and that's exactly who Marni is."

San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert doesn’t generally agree with political parties redrawing congressional maps to gain power.

But after President Trump persuaded Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to redraw his state’s maps in order to improve Republican chances of retaining control of Congress in 2026, Von Wilpert said she decided California’s only option was to fight back with new maps of its own, favoring Democrats.

SDCYD was the first Democratic club to hold an endorsement vote in the CA-48 race, after hosting a candidate forum to hear directly from those running. Following the forum, members voted overwhelmingly to endorse von Wilpert, with 81% support. Known for their organizing power, SDCYD members regularly canvass, fundraise, and mobilize to help their endorsed candidates win some of the region’s toughest races.

“I’ve brought people together to deliver results on public safety and affordability, and I’ll bring that same spirit of unity to flip this seat and deliver real change in Washington,” said von Wilpert. “I am honored to receive the support of these trusted leaders in their communities. Our campaign is about building coalitions and delivering results that matter for families across our region.”

“Marni von Wilpert is the best Democratic candidate to win in California’s 48th District and to deliver for working families,” said Matthew Gaines, IUOE Local 12 Political Director. “With her proven record on the San Diego City Council and her background at the National Labor Relations Board, she knows what it means to stand up for workers. We know Marni has the unwavering values and deep experience needed to be a champion for union members in Congress.”

Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert is running for Congress. She is looking to unseat Rep. Darrell Issa, who represents California’s 48th Congressional District.

“With the cost of living being so punishing in San Diego, we have to make sure we preserve these open, freely accessible spaces for our citizens to use,” said von Wilpert. 

She’s pushing back against reduced hours at lakes and reservoirs citywide.

San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who authored a local ordinance banning ghost guns, expressed relief at the Supreme Court's decision. "I was worried that the Supreme Court might rule against the Biden administration, which would mean our law too would be knocked down in court," von Wilpert said.

Backed by Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, the law requires grocery stores to provide paper versions of all digital deals. The regulation applies to major grocery chains citywide and takes effect next year.

“I am going to try and argue with my colleagues to re-fund those positions because if we just let the streets get worse, they are going to be more expensive to fix later on and we will have more litigation from people whose cars are getting hurt on the bad roads and people tripping and falling.”

City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert announced H.O.P.E.: Housing Opportunities for Public Educators at a news conference Wednesday. The grant program is backed by $1 million and is intended for teachers working in San Diego's Council District 5.

City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert said at a news conference Friday that the transition team is “the type of investment I want to use from the opioid settlement dollars to really make a difference here in our communities.”

“Thousands of families are missing someone at that kitchen table every night, because of the effects of fentanyl poisoning,” San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert said during a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the discussion on the proposal.

San Diego City Council Member Marni von Wilpert wants things to change. Von Wilpert is behind a proposal to reform how city agencies procure firearms. The measure would require the city to ensure that the gun sellers it does business with operate within all local, state, and federal laws. The specific protocols aren’t yet clear — the proposal just made it to the city’s Public Safety Committee.

National news is not how San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert imagined coming out.

“You’re hoping to have maybe private, quiet conversations with folks. Instead, I came out in The New York Times.”

“It is very disappointing that very wealthy companies are not helping us on our journey to house folks here in San Diego,” Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert said at Tuesday’s meeting. 

Two San Diego residents cleared out the Pride month display at their library and said such materials shouldn’t be available to children, one of several recent clashes over L.G.B.T.Q. issues in California.

“I’m frankly shocked by this because eliminating LGBTQ content from libraries is what you might expect in Mississippi, but never here in San Diego,” von Wilpert said. “Denying others the right to read LGBTQ-affirming books is just another way of telling LGBTQ people they don’t belong — and that’s dead wrong. Everyone has the right to read what they want, but absolutely no one has the right to keep others from reading books that reflect their experiences and backgrounds.”

Today, the San Diego City Council voted to pass the City's Unsafe Camping Ordinance, brought forth by Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Stephen Whitburn. While we have much more work to do to provide support and resources for our unsheltered population, this ordinance regulating where people can and cannot safely camp on public property is one step our City can take to improve public health and safety for all San Diegans.

Von Wilpert called the $104 million “one of the most historic investments” and promised to “fight for District 5 to get its fair share.”

District Attorney Summer Stephan, County Supervisor Joel Anderson, City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, and Deputy District Attorneys Scott Pirello and Michael Zachry are hosting a community workshop to discuss types of adult elder abuse.

Councilmember Marni von Wilpert discussed the upcoming event on KUSI’s Good Morning San Diego.

Too many San Diego families are experiencing the tragedy of lives lost to opioid overdoses, especially from fentanyl. Last year the number of overdose deaths surged 33 percent in San Diego, from 976 in 2020 to 1,303 in 2021. While other substances including methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol were the cause of some of the accidental overdose deaths, the recent surge in the presence of fentanyl, a synthetic and hard-to-detect opioid up to 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, has fueled the...

The San Diego City Council Tuesday approved an update to the city’s Climate Action Plan, including setting a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

For over 15 years, a hopeful sign stood on a vacant lot on Village Center Loop Road, reading “Future library”. That future got one step closer with the official groundbreaking of the new Pacific Highlands Ranch Library on a sunny July 15 morning.

San Diego City Councilwomen Marni von Wilpert and Jennifer Campbell joined San Diego School Board trustees on Friday to announce the Stop Adolescent Addiction to Flavored E-Cigarettes Act was officially signed into law by Mayor Todd Gloria.