Whether we like it or not, we may have Darrell Issa to kick around some more. The notorious GOP congressman announced Wednesday that he wouldn't seek re-election in California’s 49th Congressional District, but multiple sources told The Hill that he's been talking to colleagues about running in the 50th District to the east. Issa only won re-election in 2016 50.3-49.7 as his seat swung from 52-46 Romney to 51-43 Clinton, but the 50th went from 60-37 Romney to a still-red 55-40 Trump. If Issa could make the switcheroo work, he could prolong his time in the House for quite a while.
At least one Republican doesn't like the sound of this plan, and it's the guy who already represents the 50th. Rep. Duncan Hunter told The Hill, "If I was to blow up in the air, then he would be running for it. If I was to blow up, then he would run for the seat," adding, "If I blow up, yes. Why wouldn’t he run for my seat if I was to blow up in the air?" That's a very… vivid image, but Hunter's career could indeed be on the verge of blowing up in the air soon. Hunter is under FBI investigation for allegedly misusing campaign money, including a $600 flight for his family's pet rabbit. Hunter maintains that he's running for re-election, but his problems don't show any signs of going away. On Wednesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that a federal grand jury will hear evidence this month about Hunter's case.
For their part, team Issa is sending some mixed signals about how interested their boss is in running for the 50th in inland San Diego County. When the Union-Tribune asked Issa's spokesperson Calvin Moore about this, he replied, "Good lord you guys are persistent! Can’t even take a day off from speculating what might be next for Darrell?" That's far from a no, and Moore didn't respond to follow up inquiries. Dave Gilliard, Issa's campaign consultant, did say he didn't believe Issa was "making those calls, no... I don't think he's given any thought to any other district at this point," which isn't quite a no either. The filing deadline is in mid-March, so we won't have to put up with these games forever.