[img_assist|nid=754|title=Republican congressional candidate Duncan D. Hunter|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=166|height=180]Rival Republican U.S. House candidates Duncan D. Hunter and Bob Watkins are announcing competing endorsements in the race to succeed retiring District 52 U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter.

Hunter, a businessman and Iraq war veteran, won the backing of the California Republican Assembly, an independent organization that promotes conservative policies within the Republican Party.

"Duncan D. Hunter is a true American patriot. He's served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He's a former small business owner. He's a proven conservative who will fight to keep taxes low and limit the growth of government spending. We are proud to endorse him for Congress," said CRA President Mike Spence.

Watkins, a businessman who serves as president of the San Diego Board of Education, is announcing the support of military brass, including Marine personnel Mike Neil, Jan Huly and Navy personnel Jim Johnson, Lin Walton, and Bradley Little.

Hunter and Watkins are competing in a San Diego-area district that is heavily conservative, with George Bush winning 57 percent and 61 percent of the vote in 2000 and 2004, respectively, and that is heavily populated with military personnel. According to the Almanac of American Politics, 16 percent of the people living in the district are military veterans.