by Miriam Raftery | May 14, 2026 10:00 pm
East County News Service
May 14, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – Stan Caplan is a former Republican running as a Democrat against incumbent Democrat Sara Jacobs and several lesser known candidates in the 48th Congressional district. ECM recently interviewed Caplan for our radio show on KNSJ. Click the audio link to hear our full interview, or scroll down for highlights.
Born in Alabama, he has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and has a business background. He previously ran for Congress in the 51st district as a Republican, winning 38% of the vote. He’s now running as a Democrat, calling himself the “Trojan Horse” candidate seeking to win conservative and moderate votes in a district that has an 18% Democratic registration advantage.
The newly redrawn district extends from Mission Valley east to Imperial Valley, including Del Cerro, La Mesa, Spring Valley, El Cajon Alpine, and mountain areas north nearly to Ramona.
Caplan says he first volunteered to run as a Republican i9n 2022 because “I wasn’t very happy with what was going on in the country.” This time, he switched parties due to the mathematical advantage Democrats have in the district that he believes no Republican could win.
Asked his views on the Trump/MAGA agenda, he says, “I agree with a lot of the policies. I believe in America First agenda, believe criminals and illegals should not be let into the country. I believe in legal immigrant,” adds Caplan, whose grandparents were immigrants. “I believe in a lot of Trump’s domestic policies. We should be energy-self-sufficient.” He also supported bringing in Elon Musk and DOGE (the department of government efficiency) to “root out waste, fraud and abuse.”
He wants to make government more efficient, trimmed down, and have audits to show where taxpayer money goes. He aims to introduce legislation to eliminate federal income tax on the first $50,000 of earned income to help working families. He also wants to reduce energy costs. “San Diego Gas & Electric should be audited and monitored,” he adds.
He acknowledges that Trump’s tariffs have caused some inflation and harmed some small businesses, but believes that “in the long term, they will be beneficial to our country” by bringing back manufacturing and good-paying jobs, while assuring that manufacturing for critical industries such as defense are not outsourced to non-friendly nations such as China. He adds, “Our country has a $39 trillion deficit. That needs to be attended to; one way to do it is to balance out the trade deficit.”
He believes that Iran war is justified if Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon and suggests NATO should have stepped up to help. As for Trump wanting to pull the U.S. out of NATO, which came to America’s defense after the 911 terror attacks, he says, “We’ve done more for them (NATO) than they’ve done for us…There has not been a problem with Russia except for this Ukraine issue for decades.” He notes that the U.S.S since WWII, US has “probably put out more than they’ve received” from NATO.”
Asked about the Supreme Court rollback of Roe vs. Wade abortion rights, he says, “Abortion, this is a very volatile issue for some reason. I grew up in Alabama…cultures and beliefs are different.” He generally supports states’ rights to regulate or ban abortion, but would make exceptions for rape and when a mother’s life is in danger.
He supports the Trump administration’s rollback of civil rights and mandates for diversity, equity and inclusion. “I just feel that things should be based on merit,” he says. “I think that this country was founded on hard work, ambition, and being the best you can be; I don’t think it’s fair to anyone to put someone else ahead because of race or religion.”
Asked if he supports mass deportations beyond criminals, such as young immigrants formerly protected by DACA and Afghan translators who helped our military, he said he wants emphasis put on vetting people who are coming into the U.S. “Our government has enough to do to concentrate on getting illegal criminals out of the country,” he said, without specifying whether he supports exceptions to protect any specific groups. But he added, “I think there should be some vetting also… That’s a huge job that should have priority.
He supports “energy independence” and says he’s not against renewables, but adds, “It’s a decision that should be made based on economics. If we have oil reserves that can be exploited in an economically and environmentally sensitive way, then I’m not opposed” As for oil drilling off California’s coast, he says, “If it can be done safely and environmentally soundly, I’m all for it,” adding, “I don’t see anything wrong with nuclear. It’s safe if done properly and it’s very cost effective.” He acknowledged that Trump has gone “overboard” in his opposition to wind energy. “We can have a mix, but we need to at least have ability to provide enough to keep our energy costs down. It’s outrageous to pay $2 a gallon more than most parts of the country.”
Wildfires are big concerns in East County, yet President Trump as part of his effort to reduce the size of the federal government has slashed federal firefighting and funding for FEMA, the federal emergency disaster aid, even seeking to eliminate FEMA.
Caplan acknowledges he doesn’t know all of the issues regarding wildfires. “I can’t give you an informed answer on the major causes. I don’t know if there needs to be more thinning, availability to water, but whatever needs to be done I would look into,” he says. As for FEMA cuts, he says, “ I don’t know why Trump did that….if he found some fraud or waste, but obviously when we have natural disasters people need help…To be without your home for years is not good for anyone and there needs to be quick action.”
Asked why voters should support a candidate not endorsed by either major political party, he says, ““I think Sara Jcobs is way too far to the left…I don’t agree with her on most issues from energy to immigration to social issues.” He hopes to attract conservatives and moderates across party lines. “Today on the news, who we hear from the most are those on the fringes, the far left and far right….Of people will look into what I stand for, then I will have a good chance to succeed and represent them.” He adds, “Politicians today in Washington just want to preserve their own self interests, and people are tired of this corruption.”
You can read more about Stan Caplan and his candidacy at caplanforcongress.com[2].
Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/hear-our-interview-with-stan-caplan-candidate-for-51st-congressional-district/
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