California's 48th Congressional District
Fighting for working families, affordable housing, and a stronger economy across Orange County and Southern California. It's time for new leadership that puts people first.
Cory Gautereaux is a lifelong Californian, born and raised in the heart of Southern California. He is a proud resident of San Diego. Cory served as an Army veteran who honored our country. He owns a small business and fought through the trenches of entrepreneurship. He founded The GOAT Initiative, a hands-on effort to combat human trafficking and secure our southern border. Cory has dedicated his life to protecting our communities and putting Americans first.
Cory is running for Congress because he has seen how Washington insiders and failed policies left San Diego County families behind. Skyrocketing housing costs force hardworking folks out of their homes. Crumbling infrastructure is strained by unchecked immigration. An economy rigged for the elite means we deserve better. The people of San Diego need a fighter who shows up every day, listens to your concerns, and delivers real results, not empty promises.
Cory's military service taught him discipline and leadership under fire. As a business owner in San Diego, he created jobs and navigated the red tape choking our local economy. Through The GOAT Initiative, he led operations along the U.S. Mexico border, rescuing victims of trafficking and exposing the cartels' grip on our communities. He lost veteran brothers in the process, which fuels his commitment to border security.
Cory believes in an economy that rewards grit and innovation, not cronyism. He will fight for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and energy independence to bring down costs and create opportunities for everyone. He will prioritize veterans' care, protect our kids in schools, and ensure healthcare and housing go to American citizens first. Together, we will build a stronger, safer Southern California from the ground up with solutions that put our families and freedom first.
See the PlatformWhere Cory stands on the challenges that matter most to CA-48
Drawing from his GOAT Initiative expertise, Cory will demand immediate border wall completion, end catch-and-release, and review sanctuary laws that enable cartels. Every criminal illegal immigrant must be deported — no exceptions, no excuses, no loopholes. He'll fight to massively increase the ICAC budget to protect our most vulnerable children from online predators, hunt down terrorists operating within our borders, and stop human trafficking at its source. Cory supports merit-based legal immigration that prioritizes national security and ensures resources go to American citizens first.
Cory already works hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal law enforcement through the GOAT Initiative to combat trafficking and protect communities. In Congress, he'll back the blue with the funding and resources they need, oppose efforts to defund police, and fight to keep dangerous criminals off our streets.
California families shouldn't lose everything to wildfires and then get dropped by their insurance company. Cory will fight to hold insurers accountable, prevent unjust policy cancellations, and push for affordable fire insurance options. He'll demand proper forest management, expanded firebreaks, and the resources our firefighters need to protect our communities before disaster strikes — not after.
Cory opposes resource-straining policies like sanctuary laws that boost demand. He backs incentives for veteran and family homes, cracking down on neighborhood-degrading crimes. Zoning and land rules limit builds, spiking costs — prevailing wages add $42,900–$79,000 per home; inclusionary zoning cuts supply and hikes prices 2–3% faster. Cory cuts red tape for faster construction. He uses his border expertise to secure developments against exploitation, and will reform CEQA overregulation that causes delays, lawsuits, and inflated costs — delivering protection without insider-favoring barriers.
As a small business owner in San Diego, Cory will fight to reduce regulations and taxes that burden entrepreneurs, promote job growth in border communities, and push for incentives to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. He'll take on unchecked spending and prioritize energy independence to lower costs for families and businesses.
Cory believes parents have the right to educate their children. He will advocate for school choice and curricula focused on American values, ensuring education prepares students for real-world jobs without ideological indoctrination. He'll extend his anti-trafficking work to schools by supporting measures to safeguard kids from predators, including better background checks and awareness programs.
As a veteran, Cory will fight to expand VA services, housing, and healthcare for those who've served — putting veteran care ahead of foreign aid. He'll push for better mental health resources and job training programs to help veterans reintegrate, drawing from personal experience and the loss of fellow veterans in border-related efforts.
Every year, billions of gallons of Sierra snowmelt flow straight into the Pacific Ocean while California rations water and begs for drought relief — it's insane. Cory will fight to build the reservoirs, expand storage capacity, and fix the outdated infrastructure needed to capture that water for our farms, families, and communities instead of watching it wash out to sea. He'll also push to modernize aging roads, bridges, and transit systems across the district.
The district we're fighting for
Residents
Congressional District
Priority: Housing
Commitment to You
Updates from the campaign trail
March 6, 2026
With Darrell Issa's retirement, Army veteran and GOAT Initiative founder Cory Gautereaux brings real-time border expertise and grassroots action to the race for California's redrawn district.
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March 11, 2026
Father, husband, small business owner, respiratory therapist, and Army veteran — Cory Gautereaux brings real-world experience from the front lines of border security to the race for CA-48.
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March 2026
From the borderlands of East San Diego County to the inland valleys, Cory Gautereaux brings boots-on-the-ground expertise and a platform rooted in real-world action.
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📍 San Diego, California
✉ cory@gautereaux4congress.com