San Diego’s four Democratic congressional members voted in support of impeaching President Donald Trump Wednesday, while the delegation’s lone Republican member, Rep. Duncan Hunter, refrained from voting in order to comply with House rules.

Rep. Susan Davis, a San Diego Democrat who is the senior member of the delegation, voted to move the articles of impeachment forward to the Senate. She has criticized the president for putting his personal and political priorities ahead of national security and said he only has himself to blame for impeachment.

“Make no mistake. We are not impeaching the President. He is impeaching himself,” she said on the floor. “If you are the president and you obstruct justice, try to bribe a foreign leader, and threaten national security, you’re going to get impeached. End of story.”

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, and freshman Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, cited their responsibility to uphold the Constitution when announcing they will vote in favor of both articles of impeachment.

“Congress has a responsibility to protect our constitution and national security,” Vargas tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “No one is above the law.”

In a video Wednesday morning Levin said he came to D.C. not to impeach a president, but to address the climate crisis, fight for veterans and lower health care costs. However, he added, he also took an oath to defend the Constitution.

“The President violated our Constitution and undermined our national security when he pressured a foreign government to interfere in our elections for his personal and political gain,” said Levin. “He then orchestrated an absolute obstruction of the impeachment inquiry, proving that he believes that he is above the law. No one is above the law, not even the President. “

Meanwhile Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, addressed members of the House on the floor Wednesday prior to the vote and tweeted a lengthy twitter thread outlining why he intended to support impeachment.

Similar to his colleagues Peters decried the president for abusing his power when he allegedly threatened to withhold aid to the Ukraine unless its officials investigated Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s son.

Peters also criticized his Republican colleagues who, he said, refuse to speak up and defend the rule of law out of fear of losing an election.

He blamed the lack of bipartisanship during the impeachment inquiry on Republicans who, he said, actively sought to avoid the truth by not compelling the president to participate in the inquiry and by insulting and demeaning career diplomats and other witnesses who provided evidence against Trump.

“No House Republican has joined us to demand the documents and witnesses that President Trump has failed to produce, and Senate Republican leaders this week have announced that President Trump himself can set the rules of his own trial,” he said on the House floor. “Republicans refuse to seek the truth and condemn the abuse of power or to work with us to prevent this ongoing behavior in the future and that is the tragedy of today’s events.”

On the other side of the aisle, San Diego’s lone Republican member of Congress, Rep. Duncan Hunter, did not cast a vote on the impeachment question because it would have violated House rules.

The Alpine Republican, who earlier this month pleaded guilty to a federal felony for misusing campaign funds, was urged by the House Ethics Committee to refrain from voting on the floor on any measure because he was convicted of a crime that could carry a prison sentence of more than two years.

House Rule XXIII states that a convicted member “should refrain from voting on any question ... until judicial or executive proceedings result in reinstatement of the presumption of the innocence of such member or until the Member is re-elected to the House after the date of such conviction.”

For the felony related to campaign funds, Hunter could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, although he’s more likely to get eight to 14 months.

He was one of three members of Congress to not cast a vote.

Meanwhile San Diego area Republican congressional candidates and the County Republican Party were quick to criticize the Democrats and the impeachment vote Wednesday.

Two of the leading Republican candidates to replace Hunter in the 50th District lambasted Democrats for the impeachment vote.

“Fact: impeachment is an abuse of power by Congressional Democrats who are the real ones that need to be removed from office,” tweeted Carl DeMaio, former San Diego City Councilman. “We can’t impeach Members of Congress, sadly, but we can throw them out in next November’s election as punishment!”

“The Democrats’ shameless impeachment sham is three years in the making,” said former Rep. Darrell Issa. “The damage they’ve inflicted will be felt for generations. It’s more important than ever to stand against their radical, socialist agenda and fight for the future of our country.”

Helen Horvath, one of four no-party-preference candidates running for Hunter’s seat, said in a statement that Congress’ regular work has slowed because of partisan politics. She called on leaders to “promote community above partisanship.”

Meanwhile Tony Krvaric, chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego County, critiqued the impeachment vote, saying San Diegans “deserve better.”

“Fair minded San Diegans know that today’s impeachment vote is a perverse overreach based on the flimsiest of reasons,” Krvaric said in a statement. “With an election less than a year away, Democrats - blinded by hate - are afraid to actually debate the issues facing Americans.""

The impeachment inquiry now moves to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, has indicated it’ll be taken up in January.