Who Is Ahead in California's 48th Congressional District?

Redistricting turned this historically Republican San Diego-area seat into a Democratic pickup opportunity, but it will still be competitive. On the Democratic side, the leading contenders are Marni von Wilpert, a member of San Diego's City Council who is backed by local labor unions; Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Obama administration staffer and runner-up in the 50th District in 2018 and 2020; and Brandon Riker, an investor endorsed by Representative Ro Khanna. On the Republican side, the incumbent, Representative Darrell Issa, won with 59 percent of the vote in 2024, but he withdrew from this year's race and endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who also has President Trump's backing. With only one other Republican splitting the vote with Desmond in the redrawn district, where just under half are estimated to have supported Trump in 2024, Desmond could advance in the top-two runoff. That would leave multiple Democrats competing for the other spot.