California U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa to retire in move that raises stakes for GOP to retain control of House

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just three months after declaring “I’m not going to resign,” California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announced Friday that he will retire rather than face a difficult re-election campaign in a redrawn district.

“The time is right for a new chapter and new challenges,” Issa said in a statement.

“Serving in Congress has been the honor of my life.”

Issa, a car alarm magnate considered one of the richest members of Congress, had been the chief antagonist of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while serving as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2011 to early 2015.

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Issa’s abrupt shift injects more uncertainty into the race for Southern California’s 48th District, which was dramatically reshaped in November after voters approved a new U.S. House map for California to favor Democrats.

With an incumbent out of the race, it may be harder for Republicans to hold on to the seat and, by extension, the party’s fragile majority in the House.

After redistricting, Issa flirted with the idea of ​​leaving California to run for Congress in Texas. But at that time he decided to stay in his home state.

“I can fill this seat. I am not resigning from California and no one else should,” Issa, who represents a district anchored in San Diego County, said in a statement at the time.

California’s new congressional map, which was spearheaded by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, aims to tilt up to five Republican-held seats to Democrats this year to offset President Donald Trump’s push in Texas to win five seats for his party there.

A national battle is still raging in some states to redraw U.S. House districts to achieve partisan advantages ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Voters in Texas and North Carolina have already cast ballots in the primary elections for U.S. House districts, redrawn at Trump’s behest. But final congressional district boundaries remain uncertain in Missouri, even though candidates are already running for office. They are also unclear in Virginia, where new congressional districts could depend on both a voter referendum and court rulings.

In his statement, Issa said he supported San Diego County Supervisor James Desmond to succeed him.