Issa Stays Put in California: Veteran GOP Congressman Declares Re-Election Bid in Redrawn 48th District, Spurning Texas Opportunity

SAN DIEGO – Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, whose North San Diego County district was upended by California's voter-approved redistricting measure, announced Thursday that he will seek re-election in the battleground 48th Congressional District in 2026, turning down overtures from Texas Republicans to run in a safer GOP seat there.

The decision caps a week of intense speculation about Issa's political future, following reports that the 72-year-old, multi-term lawmaker was seriously considering a cross-country move to Dallas after Proposition 50 transformed his once-solidly Republican stronghold into a Democratic-leaning district. Issa, who has represented variations of the San Diego-Riverside border area since 2001—except for a brief retirement from 2019 to 2020—told local reporters he was flattered by the interest from Lone Star State allies but remains committed to his home turf.

“I appreciate the opportunity, but California is my home,” Issa said in an interview with KUSI News. “I told them I’m going to stay in Congress, and I don’t need to go to Texas for that. I believe that the people of San Diego County and Riverside County, who have elected me so many times, will, in fact, regardless of registration, vote for me. I can hold this seat in spite of the governor’s gerrymandering, and my intention is to stay right where I am.”

The announcement comes just days after reports that Issa was weighing a bid for Texas' newly redrawn 32nd Congressional District—a Dallas-area seat currently held by Democrat Julie Johnson that tilted Republican under the Texas Legislature's map. Sources familiar with the discussions said Texas House members and residents approached Issa about the opportunity as a way to "get back" at California Governor Gavin Newsom's redistricting push, which Issa has decried as a "historically corrupt gerrymander."

Proposition 50, approved by nearly 65% of California voters in a special election on November 4, 2025, allows the state Legislature to temporarily override the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and enact a new congressional map for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections. The measure, backed by Newsom and Democratic leaders, was framed as retaliation against Texas' own aggressive redistricting, which aimed to add five Republican seats. Under the new California lines, Issa's 48th District flips from a 12-point Republican advantage to a roughly 4-point Democratic edge based on voter registration, making it one of five GOP-held seats at risk of flipping. The change dilutes Republican strongholds in East County San Diego by incorporating more diverse, Democratic-leaning areas from Pacific Beach and Old Town.

Issa, a former car alarm magnate and one of Congress's wealthiest members with a net worth estimated in the hundreds of millions, first entered politics in 2000 after serving in the U.S. Army and building a business empire. He chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee during his early tenure and returned to Congress in 2021 after a self-imposed hiatus. His district's vulnerability under Proposition 50 has already drawn at least 11 Democratic challengers, including former opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar, San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, and Coachella Valley contenders Whitney Shanahan and Curtis Morrison. Early analysis rates the seat as a "Toss-Up," with Democrats optimistic about capitalizing on midterm dynamics.

The Texas flirtation added fuel to a national redistricting firestorm. California's map faces ongoing legal challenges, including a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering and a separate suit filed by Issa himself alongside Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for Texas to use its new maps despite lower-court blocks.

Issa, who briefly considered the Dallas run only if Texas' lines held up, now joins other endangered California Republicans like Reps. Ken Calvert and David Valadao in vowing to fight from their reshaped districts.

Republican leaders expressed relief at Issa's choice. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson had urged him to stay, telling reporters, “I’ve encouraged Darrell to run in his current district.” Potential GOP successors, such as San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond—who has raised over $1 million for a nearby race—will now pivot back to their original plans.

Democrats pounced on the episode. California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks called it "cowardice at its finest," accusing Issa of prioritizing power over constituents.

With the June 2026 primary looming, Issa's campaign is expected to emphasize his record on veterans' issues, border security, and economic growth—priorities in the district's rural and suburban enclaves—while framing the redistricting as an "unprecedented partisan assault."

As the dust settles, Issa's saga underscores the high-stakes chess game of redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms, where control of the slim Republican House majority hangs in the balance. For now, the car alarm billionaire is betting on his deep ties to San Diego voters to navigate the political turbulence.