A day after Rep. Darrell Issa announced he would not seek reelection to the House in the 49th District, a national website is reporting the Vista congressman may run for a neighboring seat if embattled Rep. Duncan Hunter resigns.
TheHill.com, a widely followed Washington-based website, said in an exclusive article Thursday that Issa has been considering the move for some time.
Hunter’s 50th District in East County is adjacent to the 49th District and includes areas that Issa represented prior to redistricting in California in 2010.
The 49th District includes north coastal San Diego and south Orange counties, while the 50th stretches north of Interstate 8 and west of Interstate 15 to the Imperial County line and extends into Temecula.
Issa’s statement on Wednesday — “with the support of my family, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in California’s 49th District” — did not specifically say he planned to leave public office.
Hunter faces a number of Democratic opponents and has been the target of an FBI investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds.
But Hunter issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying he was committed to seeking reelection.
“I am 100 percent running for reelection and with continued support from those in my district and the full endorsement of the Republican Party of San Diego County,” he said. “I have run every race with full effort because my constituents deserve no less and this time is no different.”
