Campaigns to fill seats on the board of directors of public hospital districts are usually low-key affairs. But a candidate running for a seat on the Palomar Health board in North County is drawing a lot of heat from anti-abortion forces.
Dr. George Kung is one of 14 candidates running for four seats on the Palomar Health board of directors.
The gynecologist has practiced in the health care district his entire career. He said he would like to give back by serving on the hospital district board.
Lately, campaign signs have been cropping up on some North County street corners and those signs read: "George Kung, Abortionist."
Kung said he has received letters asking him to withdraw his name from the election, saying he needs to repent for his sin of performing abortions.
Kung said he should not be criticized for performing a legal medical procedure. What’s more, he thinks the issue has nothing to do with serving on Palomar’s board.
"It’s totally inappropriate," Kung said. "There are no abortions being done at either of our hospitals. So the board would never make a decision on the issue of abortion. I think it’s more of a personal attack."
Mitchell Rennix, a deacon of the Catholic Church in North County, doesn’t characterize his efforts to defeat Kung as personal attacks.
He said anti-abortion forces have organized public rallies against Kung, but Rennix argued abortion is a legitimate issue in the campaign.
"When you go to the hospital, you go to have the best chance to live," Rennix said. "There are better people, in our opinion, that can represent that, based on their beliefs and their past actions, versus Dr. Kung’s."
Dr. Kung said many of his campaign signs have been defaced or stolen.
Rennix said he knows nothing about that.
More than half-a-million people live in the Palomar Health district, which includes the communities of Escondido, Poway, and San Marcos. The district has two hospitals: Pomerado and Palomar.
