CA-48: A must-win California House seat is giving Dems heartburn

The California measure was expected to net Democrats five seats, with the long-sought Central Valley district held by Rep. David Valadao considered the big prize and the 48th, represented by Issa, widely viewed as a bonus.

But the calculus has suddenly changed on both sides of the equation. A string of Republican victories in the gerrymandering wars, including at the Supreme Court on Friday, has now made every California seat critical to Democratic hopes of retaking the House — and the 48th is looking less certain amid a crowded primary and a stronger-than-expected GOP candidate.

“There’s no margin for error this cycle,” said Ammar Campa-Najjar, one of the leading Democratic candidates in the district, which straddles San Diego and Riverside counties.

The Supreme Court decision to weaken the Voting Rights Act and the rejection of a new Democratic electoral map in Virginia have raised the stakes and “gotten people more focused,” he said.



https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/18/must-win-california-house-seat-giving-dems-heartburn-00924403