Democrat Campa-Najjar is ‘seriously considering’ rematch against Rep. Issa

Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, who lost to Rep. Darrell Issa by just 8 points in 2020, said Saturday he is “seriously considering” a second campaign against the veteran Republican in 2026.

Word of his interest emerged as California lawmakers move to ask voters to OK new voting maps to benefit Democrats — and place Issa’s seat in jeopardy.

The redistricting is a response to Texas Republicans threatening a gerrymander spree that would hurt five Democratic Congress members in the Lone Star state.

Campa-Najjar, 36, said his consideration of a rematch was based on his belief that “this is a ‘where were you?’ moment in the life of our country” and the possibility that the mid-decade redistricting proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom would make the 48th Congressional District more competitive.

In a 280-word statement, he said that Americans are being “crushed by unpopular policies that have raised the cost of living, slashed food assistance and healthcare for those who need it most in order to fund billionaire tax breaks.”

“That’s why l’m seriously considering running: to fight for an economy that works for working people, lower healthcare costs, and take on corruption,” he said.

Campa-Najjar twice before sought to represent the vast East County district, running unsuccessfully against former Rep. Duncan Hunter in 2018 and then against Issa two years later. He also ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Chula Vista in 2022.

Currently he serves as a Naval Reserve officer and is scheduled to teach at Georgetown University in the fall.

Jonathan Wilcox, a spokesman for Issa, was asked if Issa had any comment on the prospect of Campa-Najjar joining the CA48 race.

“None that I know of,” Wilcox replied Saturday via email.

Campa-Najjar didn’t respond by 6 p.m. Saturday to a series of questions, including where he now lives and whether he’d have to quit the Navy Reserve to run.

(According to one FAQ, reservists can run for federal office and serve in such roles if not on active duty for more than 270 days. But they can’t let political duties interfere with military ones. They also have limits on campaigning on base, or in uniform, and “cannot use military photos as primary campaign material, or have military photos that are misleading about your official military duties.”)

If Campa-Najjar officially files to enter the race, he would face at least four other Democrats in the June 2026 primary.

One, Brian Nash, told Times of San Diego that he’s heard great things about Campa-Najjar personally and professionally.

“If he runs, I wish him well, as I would any other candidate,” said the Murrieta resident.

But Nash questioned the intentions of “anyone who chooses to enter a race simply because of its perceived ease of victory.”

“This applies whether it’s Ammar, Will Rollins (who I’ve also heard is considering a run) or any other candidate who might jump into these various races in the coming weeks,” Nash said.

(Democrat Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, twice ran unsuccessfully — in 2022 and 2024 — against 17-term GOP Rep. Ken Calvert in the 41st Congressional District.)

“This whole dialogue leading up to this redistricting is about ‘who is a fighter?’ I submit that the candidates who jump in to topple a hobbled opponent are the exact opposite of that,” Nash said. “I truly believe that this entire process shows that Democrats struggle to understand HOW to fight.”

Before the Campa-Najjar news broke, immigration lawyer Curtis Morrison — another Issa challenger — was asked if he expected more Dems to enter the race.

“Maybe,” he said. “But if they jump in only after the race is rigged, that won’t look good.”

Morrison agrees with Issa on one thing, however. They’re both against the California remap.

“It compromises democracy,” Morrison said. “We’re better than this.”

Issa’s office Friday shared a statement from the nine-member California GOP congressional delegation that ended: “All Californians, regardless of their political affiliation, should vote NO on this attempt to eliminate the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission’s ability to draw fair congressional districts.”

Democrat Nash is also against the remap, saying he’s been opposed “to this partisan gerrymandering since it was first announced.”

He said he understood why some think it’s a good idea.

“Tit for tat. Red vs blue. Eye for an eye,” Nash said. “It feels like we’re getting back at a bully.”

Though he believes “we must fight MAGA,” he says Democrats’ strength lies in their ability to come together and fight for California, “not in tearing our state apart, in the name of party.”

“If we are serious about fighting, mimicking professional slap fighting isn’t the way to get it done,” Nash said. “This is stupid.”