California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa announced that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming midterm elections. His district, the 48th congressional district, was redrawn at the end of last year to favor the Democratic Party.
On March 6, as the deadline for candidate registration passed, the veteran congressman declared that he would retire at the end of his current term. “I have been contemplating this decision for some time, and it is not one made lightly,” Issa stated in his statement terminating his re-election campaign.
Issa mentioned that he had built a strong campaign team, garnered broad support—including President Trump’s endorsement—and polling showed he could win. However, after 25 years in the business world and nearly 25 years in Congress, he believes it is time to “turn the page and embrace new challenges.”
Issa is supporting Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond to succeed him. While there was uncertainty outside about Issa’s withdrawal from the race on the morning of March 6, Desmond had already filed his candidacy papers.
Describing Desmond, Issa said, “He understands this community, having been born and raised here, and will make an excellent congressman.”
Prior to his career in Congress, Issa served as an Army officer and technology entrepreneur, first elected as a federal congressman for the San Diego area in 2000.
From 2011 to 2014, he chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, overseeing several high-profile investigations during the Obama administration, including the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and the “Operation Fast and Furious” investigation. In the latter operation, ATF agents allowed the illegal purchase of firearms to track Mexican drug cartel networks, but ultimately, many weapons went missing.
In 2018, Issa left Congress; during his first term, President Trump nominated him as the Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Although his nomination did not advance in the Senate, Issa successfully returned to politics in 2020, winning the seat for California’s 48th congressional district.
However, after the redistricting in California, the voter makeup in the 48th district shifted, which was previously viewed as a safe Republican seat. Issa briefly entertained the idea of running in Texas but later decided to stay, proclaiming he “will not give up on California.”
Several Democratic candidates have already registered to run in the now more Democratic-leaning 48th district, including San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and Navy veteran Ammar Campa-Najjar. Democrats quickly interpreted Issa’s decision as a sign that the seat could be flipped.
Anna Elsasser, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, stated, “Issa is abandoning his constituents, which is a clear signal that Republicans know they cannot win. Any Republicans attempting to air-drop the same extreme agenda into this election will face the same fate.”
On the other hand, Republicans praised Issa’s performance during his tenure and expressed optimism about remaining competitive in the district, even as the party defends a slim majority in the House of Representatives. Currently, Republicans lead in the House with 218 seats to 214 seats (3 vacancies).
A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee stated in a statement to the Epoch Times, “We thank Congressman Darrell Issa for his decades of dedicated service to the people of California and our nation. We are optimistic that this district will continue to be represented by Republicans in the future.”
Earlier on the 6th, the election landscape in California was also shaken by another development. Republican two-term Congressman Kevin Kiley filed for candidacy, running for the 6th district as an “independent,” citing dissatisfaction with the “highly partisan nature” of Congress and district gerrymandering.
In his statement, Kiley said, “I have long been frustrated by the intense partisanship in Congress, sometimes even disgusted, and this is no secret.”
He added, “Over the past year, this has led to the longest government shutdown in American history, a significant increase in healthcare costs, and, of course, a senseless battle over redistricting. The epidemic of gerrymandering has spread from Texas to California and across states nationwide. Both parties are responsible.”