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Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) announced on Friday that he’s retiring from Congress and endorsing “Supervisor Jim Desmond for Congress – to represent California’s new 48th district.”
“This decision has been on my mind for a while and I didn’t make it lightly. First, we built the right campaign infrastructure, support has been overwhelming — including from President Trump — and our polling was unmistakable: We would win this race,” Issa said.
“But after a quarter-century in Congress — and before that, a quarter-century in business — it’s the right time for a new chapter and new challenges. Serving in Congress has been the honor of my life, and every day my teams in Washington and California have worked to deliver for our constituents — like most recently gaining the Congressional Medal of Honor for the Secret Soldier of the Korean War, the great Royce Williams,” he continued.
“There is still work to be done throughout 2026 both in Washington and my beloved current 48th District – and as many days that remain, I’ll dedicate each one of them to the people I serve and the indispensable nation I have sworn to protect as a soldier in the Army and as a proud and grateful Member of the People’s House of Representatives,” he added.
Statement by Congressman Darrell Issa
Today I’m announcing my enthusiastic endorsement of Supervisor Jim Desmond for Congress – to represent California’s new 48th district.
Jim is not only a personal friend, he’s a true patriot, a Navy veteran, a successful businessman, and has… pic.twitter.com/IqJ5cqzqa0
— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) March 7, 2026
More from the Associated Press:
Issa, a car alarm magnate considered one of the wealthiest members of Congress, had been a chief antagonist for President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while he served as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, from 2011 to early 2015.
Issa’s abrupt reversal injects more uncertainty in the race for Southern California’s 48th District, which was drastically reshaped in November after voters approved a new U.S. House map for California to favor Democrats.
With an incumbent out of the running, it may be harder for Republicans to hold the seat and, by extension, the party’s fragile majority in the House.
After redistricting, Issa flirted with the idea of leaving California to run for Congress in Texas. But at the time he decided to stay put in his home state.
“I can hold this seat. I’m not quitting on California and neither should anyone else,” Issa, who represents a district anchored in San Diego County, said in a statement at the time.
Due to redistricting, several Democrats have made moves to target Issa’s seat.
Scoop: Rep. Darrell Issa expected to retire from Congress https://t.co/4Ic8W5Sud5
— Axios (@axios) March 6, 2026
Axios explained further:
Several Democrats have been running to unseat Issa, including Ammar Campa-Najjar — Issa’s opponent in 2020 — and San Diego City Council member Marni von Wilpert.
Campa-Najjar told Axios that he personally witnessed Jim Desmond, a Republican ally of Issa who had been running to unseat Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), re-register to run for Issa’s seat instead.
He said in a video posted to X that another Republican, State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, is also expected to file for the seat.
Desmond and DeMaio did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Issa’s move comes after the 119th House already broke the record for the most retirements of any Congress in the 21st century, as Axios’ Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols reported earlier this week.
55 House members — 34 Republicans and 21 Democrats — are leaving the House either to run for another office or retire from political life altogether.