Local Loyalties and Trump Opposition Collide in San Diego House Race – KQED

Local Loyalties and Trump Opposition Collide in San Diego House Race  KQED

Democrat Marni von Wilpert and Republican Jim Desmond compete in the 48th Congressional District, one of California’s most competitive House elections. VISTA — California’s newest congressional battleground is taking shape in northern San Diego County, where hillsides speckled with terracotta roofs descend into canyons of chaparral — and voter opposition to President Donald Trump threatens to upend decades of local Republican dominance. Previously a safely red seat, the new-look 48th Congressional District is rated “Lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report — making it one of just three competitive districts left in California that will help decide control of Congress in November. Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican incumbent, decided to retire rather than run for reelection.

A familiar dynamic has emerged in the race to succeed him: Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member, has positioned her campaign as a check on the Trump administration. Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, has sought to ground his candidacy in local credibility to buttress the national headwinds facing the GOP. Democrats set their sights on the 48th District after it was dramatically reshaped by Proposition 50, the new map approved by California voters last year as part of a national redistricting battle. The district was transformed from a seat that Trump won by 15.3% to one in