The San Diego County supervisor filed to run in the 48th District after previously campaigning for a different congressional seat.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has announced a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in California’s 48th Congressional District after longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said he will not seek reelection.
Desmond, a Republican who represents the county’s 5th District on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, filed paperwork to run for the open seat shortly after Issa revealed his retirement plans.
In a statement announcing his decision, Issa endorsed Desmond as his preferred successor, saying, “Today I’m announcing my enthusiastic endorsement of Supervisor Jim Desmond for Congress — to represent California’s new 48th district.”
Earlier the same day, Desmond withdrew from the race for California’s 49th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, and instead began the process of entering the race for the neighboring 48th District.
Desmond currently serves on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and has held the 5th District seat since 2019. Before joining the board, he served as mayor of San Marcos and previously worked as a commercial airline pilot after serving in the U.S. Navy.
According to Desmond’s campaign announcement, he entered the race with more than $1.5 million raised during the election cycle.
The 48th Congressional District seat is currently held by Darrell Issa, who has represented San Diego-area districts in Congress for more than two decades. Issa said his decision to step aside followed a long period of consideration after a lengthy career in business and public service.
The race for the open seat is expected to draw multiple candidates. Democrats who have already entered the contest include Ammar Campa‑Najjar and Marni von Wilpert, among others, seeking to compete in the 2026 election cycle.
California’s congressional primaries are scheduled for June 2026, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
