Vista councilwoman latest entry in crowded race for new 48th Congressional District
Dante Ulanday - News Moderator 
A Vista City Council member on Friday joined the crowded race for California’s newly redrawn 48th Congressional District.
Corinna Contreras won her Vista District 1 council seat in 2018 by just 66 votes, becoming the city’s first Latina and LGBTQ councilmember. She had more room to breathe in 2022, securing a second term in a decisive victory.
The 48th, currently represented by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Escondido, is one of five districts that were redrawn after last month’s passage of Proposition 50. California voters embraced a gerrymander of the state in response to the Texas legislature taking a similar path.
“I’ve dedicated my career to supporting working families, at-risk youth and neglected neighborhoods and it’s important that our diverse community is represented,” she said in a written statement. “Now that Darrell Issa is once again my Congressman, I am motivated to step in and provide the leadership and public service our communities deserve.”
The district will lose parts of San Diego County and add more of Riverside County, including Palm Springs, under the new maps.
With the addition of Contreras to the race, 11 Democrats, including San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert, and one independent, have declared their candidacies for the 48th.
Issa said Thursday that he declined the opportunity to take a shot at a Texas congressional seat, explaining that he is “going to stay in Congress, and I don’t need to go to Texas for that.”
Contreras touted her experience on the council as vital to getting a fire station rebuilt, expanding social programs and investing millions in youth programs, among other achievements. She cited her work as a policy advocate for the Climate Action Campaign and board member for the North County LGBTQ Resource Center as other qualifications for the post.
In another statement on her Instagram account, Contreras said she was running to “put a stop to the outrageous Trump-Issa price hikes, to break up corporate monopolies and protect you from big tech billionaires,” while promoting increased wages and better access to food, healthcare and childcare.
