Marni Lynn von Wilpert (born December 27, 1982) is an American attorney and politician who has served as a member of the San Diego City Council since 2020, representing District 5. A member of the Democratic Party, she is a candidate for California's 48th congressional district in the 2026 election.
Early life and education Marni von Wilpert was born and raised in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego. After graduating from Scripps Ranch High School in 2001, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in peace and conflict studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She then obtained a Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law.
Career After receiving her degree from the University of California, Berkeley, von Wilpert served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. After graduating from law school, von Wilpert founded a legal clinic associated with the Mississippi Center for Justice. Additionally, von Wilpert served as a law clerk for Judge James E. Graves Jr. and worked as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. She was also a detail staffer on the United States House Committee on Education and Labor and served as an advisor to committee chair Congressman Bobby Scott. In 2017, von Wilpert joined the Economic Policy Institute as Associate Labor Counsel. She served as Deputy City Attorney in the San Diego City Attorney's Office from 2018 to 2020.
San Diego City Council
Elections In the 2020 San Diego city council election, von Wilpert placed first in the nonpartisan blanket primary and defeated Joe Leventhal in the November general election. She assumed office on December 10, 2020. She ran unopposed in the 2024 San Diego City Council election, winning reelection outright in the primary on March 5, 2024.
Tenure In December 2020, she was appointed to serve on the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority board of directors. Alongside fellow Council member Sean Elo-Rivera, von Wilpert sponsored a law, which requires grocery stores that offer digital coupons to make the same discounts available to all customers.
2026 U.S. congressional campaign After her reelection in 2024, von Wilpert filed to run for California's 40th State Senatorial district in the 2026 election. Shortly afterwards, she dropped her bid for state senate to run for U.S. Congress in California's 48th congressional district. During the primary, she was supported by the California Federation of Labor Unions AFL-CIO, the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council AFL-CIO, the California Teachers Association, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and Representative Mark Takano.
Personal life Von Wilpert identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community.
Electoral history + Year Office Party Primary General Result Swing . Total % . Total % . 2026 U.S. House 48th Democratic39,32720.82nd Primary election: Source: Secretary of State of California Statewide Election Results
References
External links Campaign website