Retiring Rep. Issa Calls It Early: There Will Be A Dem Representing My District

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 09: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) questions Massachusetts Institute of Technology Economics professor Jonathan Gruber about his work on the Aff... WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 09: House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) questions Massachusetts Institute of Technology Economics professor Jonathan Gruber about his work on the Affordable Care Act during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office building on Capitol Hill December 9, 2014 in Washington, DC. Gruber, who was a consultant paid by the authors of the Affordable Care Act and the Massachusetts universal health care program, called voters stupid and said that Obamacare would not have passed if lawmakers had really known what was inside the legislation during an academic conference earlier this year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS

November 6, 2018 11:46 a.m.

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Retiring Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) — who announced his retirement in January, ending an 18-year career in Congress — told Fox News on Tuesday morning that he already knew what would come of the race for his seat.

“My district was never in play this cycle. And so it was never funded and quite frankly we know the results already and there will be a Democrat representing La Jolla to Solana Beach for the first time in a number of years,” he said. “But I have to remind people I took that part of the district from a Democrat and someday it will be taken back. For now California is leaning very hard to the left.”

Democrat Mike Levin is predicted to win the 49th District of California seat. FiveThirtyEight projects Levin has a 96 percent chance of beating Republican Diane Harkey.

Retiring Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) makes an early call: "It will be a Democrat representing La Jolla to Solana Beach for the first time in a number of years." pic.twitter.com/uJkILd0sFq

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 6, 2018

H/t: The Hill

Correction: This post originally suggested Levin had 96 percent of the vote, instead of 96 percent chance of winning. TPM regrets this error.

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Nicole Lafond (@Nicole_Lafond) is TPM’s deputy editor, based in New York. She has also worked as the special projects editor and as a senior newswriter for TPM. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously covered education in central Illinois.

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m_paul says:

November 6, 2018

Thinking this is just some red meat, ok perhaps some hamburger, for the right in other districts to get to the polls?

M. Paul
stradivarius50t3 says:

November 6, 2018

RE: The correction to the implication that Levin would receive 96% of the vote (rather than having a 96% probability of winning the seat).

In a sane world, the vote would not be as close as 24:1 in favor of Levin.
pluckyinky says:

November 6, 2018

m_paul:

Thinking this is just some red meat, ok perhaps some hamburger, for the right in other districts to get to the polls?

Nah, I think it’s just an acceptance of reality. Plus, he’s not on the ballot so he can say he didn’t lose, he retired.
booch221 says:

November 6, 2018

Don’t worry Darrell, you can always go back to arson and insurance fraud to make a dishonest living.
patl says:

November 6, 2018

Poor Darrell, he’ll just have to wait for Duncan Hunter’s conviction to take his carpet bag over to CA-50. He must be so burned that Hunter wouldn’t withdraw. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving creep.