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thedrifter
04-10-07, 06:04 AM
Hunter's son headed back to Iraq

By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer

NORTH COUNTY ---- When Marine Corps Capt. Duncan Duane Hunter reports for duty in Iraq sometime next month, he probably will be the only announced congressional candidate serving in harm's way.

Hunter, the son of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, was one of about 250 Californians in the Marine Corps' Individual Ready Reserve program who recently got letters informing them they were being reactivated.

"It's better to have them shooting at me there than shooting at people here," Hunter said Monday.


Hunter, 30, announced a couple of weeks ago that he is running for the 52nd Congressional District seat his father has held since 1981. The younger Hunter has already established a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission.

When his father announced he would seek the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, the elder Hunter said this would be his final term representing the heavily Republican congressional district that includes Poway and Ramona.

For the younger Hunter, whose home base is Camp Pendleton, it will be his third assignment in Iraq. His first came in mid-2003 shortly after the U.S. invasion, and he spent seven months in Iraq in 2004, during which time he saw action in the fight for the city of Fallujah, one of the major battles of the war.

He is one of 1,800 reservists called up, with about 1,200 expected to be sent to Iraq early next year. In his case, Hunter said he asked and the Marine Corps has granted his request to expedite his deployment.

"The Marine Corps certainly has needs to be filled now, and I would rather go now and get it done sooner than later," he said.

Like his father, the ranking Republican and former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Hunter supports Bush administration policies on Iraq.

"I think what we are doing in Iraq is the right thing," he said during a telephone interview. "We are doing what our military has trained us to do, and in fighting over there we present hardened military targets to the enemy. It beats IEDs going off over here."

In recent months, the father of three children ranging in age from 7 months to 6 years old has been serving as an advance man and driver for his father's presidential effort. On Monday, he was with his dad in San Diego reviewing television advertisements before the elder Hunter headed off to Alabama for campaign appearances.

The elder Hunter, who in stump appearances hasn't been shy about mentioning his son's past service in Iraq, said he worries like any other parent would.

"He's been a great asset on the campaign, but when his country called on him, he was ready to saddle up and go," his father said. "He's already served his country for four years and now he will serve a little more.

"As a parent, you're always concerned about your family and in this my case my son who is headed back into battle. He's a good man and I'm proud of him, and I know he will do a good job."

Duncan Duane Hunter said he decided to run for Congress because he holds many of the same beliefs as his dad and wants to continue that kind of representation. While several Iraq war veterans are now serving in Congress, most are Democrats who oppose the continued U.S. presence.

"I represent conservative values and can communicate that what we are doing in the war on terror is the right thing," he said. "I also think I can communicate that message more effectively than the administration has been doing."

His job in Iraq will prevent Hunter from doing much campaigning during his deployment. That work will be assumed by his wife, Margaret, he said.

Hunter's built-in name recognition and the connections of his father make him the odds-on favorite in a congressional district with about 151,000 registered Republicans compared with about 100,000 registered Democrats. The 2008 primary for congressional seats takes place in June.

While the registration numbers alone make the district a longshot for Democrats, Jess Durfee, chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, said it's far too early to assume the younger Hunter will replace his father.

"We are quite confident we will have a good candidate, and I don't think the voters of the 52nd District think it is to be treated like some kind of monarchy with representation passed down from one generation of a family to the next."

Durfee also said that many Democrats won seats they were never expected to take last November, a trend that he said could continue through the 2008 election cycle.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.

Ellie