Former California Rep. Darrell Issa announced he is running to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter in a San Diego-based seat as the incumbent faces federal corruption charges.
Issa served in the House from 2001 to 2019 representing a suburban district in northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. He became a national figure as the chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee during the Obama years, when he routinely clashed with the administration over issues related to the Fast and Furious scandal, the IRS’ targeting of conservative political organizations, and the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, among others.
The wealthy car alarm magnate retired from his House seat after a close call in his prior reelection bid. His seat was won by Democratic freshman Rep. Mike Levin.
“I believe that I have the history, the skills, the seniority and the capability to hit the ground running, not just for this district but for California — to help Republicans compete in what has become a very treacherous and difficult Congress, and to retake the majority,” Issa said during remarks on Thursday.
Issa is now running against Hunter in a military-heavy district that encompasses the central and northeastern parts of San Diego County. Under California’s election rules, the top two vote-getters face off against each other no matter what party. So, a Republican-on-Republican fight is realistic in the 50th District, where the GOP has an 11-point voter registration edge.
In August 2018, Hunter and his wife were indicted on charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and violating campaign finance laws. In June, his wife pleaded guilty to corruption and named him as a co-conspirator in using campaign funds for personal expenses. His trial begins in February 2020, weeks ahead of the March primary.
On Thursday, Issa was joined at Centennial Plaza in El Cajon, California, by San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob; Temecula, California Mayor Matt Rahn; former Escondido, California, Mayor Sam Abed; El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells; and retired Navy SEAL Larry Wilske. Rahn, Abed, Wells, and Wilske had previously announced their intentions to run for the seat.
Issa’s bid to return to Congress is a shift from his prior career plans. Issa was appointed to serve in the Trump administration to run the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, but the confirmation was stalled repeatedly. Last week, after New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez delayed his confirmation again, Issa decided to pull the plug on his nomination and run for Congress again.
