Issa retires, Desmond jumps into 48th Congressional race
The retirement of Rep. Darrell Issa sets off a rapid reshuffling of candidates in the 48th, 49th districts — with tight deadlines and crowded fields ahead
NORTH COUNTY — A game of political musical chairs broke out Friday after the news of the retirement of longtime Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA).
His retirement triggered a chain reaction among local Republicans over the newly drawn 48th and 49th Congressional districts. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who was running against Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) in the 49th, announced he will run for the 48th seat. Issa endorsed Desmond on Friday.
Armen Kurdian, a Vista Republican and member of the party’s Central Committee, will now run against Levin in the 49th. With Kurdian’s departure, Republican Laura Basset of Oceanside will run against state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) in the District 38 race.
The deadline to change districts is Friday.
“They drew me into the district, but the truth is, I’ve been serving this community for years,” Desmond said in a press release. “I was the Mayor of San Marcos. I raised my family here. I know what’s keeping families up at night: the cost of living, public safety, and a government that too often gets in the way instead of getting things done.”
Desmond has raised more than $1.5 million for his Congressional run and deep roots in the district. He served as mayor of San Marcos for 12 years before being elected twice to the Board of Supervisors representing District 5.
He said he enters the race ready to fight for working families on the issues that matter most: bringing down the cost of living, keeping communities safe, and restoring the American Dream for the next generation.
Kurdian, a U.S. Navy veteran, said he was happy to step up into a congressional race, noting the 49th district overlaps the 38th, so his campaign won’t lose much momentum.
