California 48th Congressional District — U.S. House
November 3, 2026 General Election — Desmond (R) vs. von Wilpert (D), an open seat that could decide House control
District: The redrawn, Proposition 50-era CA-48 spans inland northern San Diego County (incl. Escondido, San Marcos, Poway, and rural East County), crosses through parts of Riverside County, and runs out to Palm Springs — a map drawn specifically to be a Democratic pickup opportunity. Voter registration: ~37% Dem, ~33% GOP, ~22% NPP — "leans Democratic." The race: Open seat. Rep. Darrell Issa (R) retired (endorsing Republican Jim Desmond), leaving one of the most-watched seats in the country. Primary result: Desmond won the June 2 top-two primary with ~39% of the vote; Marni von Wilpert finished second at ~21% (Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar was a distant third). Why it matters: Democrats need a net gain of six seats to retake the U.S. House, and CA-48 is one of only a handful of toss-up GOP-held seats in the state — von Wilpert herself said Democrats' path to the majority likely runs through it.
Judges on your ballot: CA-48 sits entirely in the 4th Appellate District (San Diego & Riverside counties), so every CA-48 voter sees the same 15 Court of Appeal questions plus the 2 Supreme Court questions →.
Also on your ballot: Along with the toss-up House race, CA-48 voters decide two State Legislature races — Assembly District 71 (Sanchez vs. Galvez), covering Temecula and Murrieta, and Senate District 32 (Seyarto vs. Tate). Riverside County voters also choose countywide offices: Assessor-Clerk-Recorder, Auditor-Controller, and Superior Court Office No. 10 →
Jim Desmond Rep Age 69
San Diego County Supervisor (Dist. 5) • endorsed by retiring Rep. Issa and President Trump
U.S. Navy veteran (aircraft electrician) and a 33-year Delta Air Lines pilot/captain who grew up in the cockpit of Southern California's skies. Earned an electrical-engineering degree from San Diego State on the GI Bill and founded a technical-writing business. Served San Marcos 14 years (12 as mayor, 2006–2018) before winning the county's North County District 5 supervisor seat in 2018; re-elected in 2022. Supervising the district includes Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, and the backcountry — much of which sits inside CA-48. Ran first for the 49th, then switched to the 48th for the general after Issa endorsed him.
Top Issues / Platform
- Cost of living & housing — fight rising costs, address the housing crisis
- Public safety — crime control, fentanyl, and homelessness
- Wildfire & water — backcountry fire resilience and water supply
- Red tape — "common sense" government, less Washington gridlock
- Veterans' issues from his Navy and flight experience
Read on the race
- Strengths: 20+ years of local elected experience in the district; backed by Issa and Trump; a centrist-sounding "common sense" brand; former pilot story resonates in a region of commuters and veterans.
- Weaknesses: district tilts Democratic; his Trump endorsement cuts both ways in a +Dem map; must defend two years of county furlough-and-budget politics to a new audience.
Marni von Wilpert Dem Age 42 Red to Blue
San Diego City Councilmember (Dist. 5) • DCCC "Red to Blue" pick
San Diego City Councilmember (elected 2020) who flipped a previously Republican-held council seat — and now represents northern, inland parts of San Diego City that sit inside CA-48. An attorney with a workers'-rights and civil-rights background, including service in the Obama administration's Department of Labor, and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Authored California's ghost-gun bill. Has been a DCCC "Red to Blue" recruit and argued Democrats' House chances run through this district.
Top Issues / Platform
- Affordability — housing, gas, and grocery costs
- Rein in the administration — oppose federal overreach, protect CA services
- Public safety — gun-violence prevention (ghost-gun law), fentanyl response
- Workers & unions — raise wages, protect organizing
- Protect Social Security and Medicare
Key Endorsements
- San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria
- Reps. Scott Peters and Mike Levin
- Attorney General Rob Bonta
- San Diego County Democratic Party
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund, EMILYs List, SEIU California
Read on the race
- Strengths: proven crossover winner who has beaten a Republican in an R+ area; establishment backing (DCCC "Red to Blue"); local name ID in the district's largest-population core.
- Weaknesses: primary divided her party late (multi-candidate field); must consolidate Beach/coastal Democratic voters and win Independents in a district with a 4-point-Dem registration edge.
Bottom line: Nonpartisan raters treat CA-48 as a pure Toss-up to "Lean Democrat" — the state's marquee House race, the single most-watched contest in California this cycle, and genuinely could swing the national majority. Count this as the one seat on this site where your vote may decide which party controls the U.S. House.
Sources
- Times of San Diego (6/3/26): primary results — Desmond 41.6% (early), von Wilpert 19.7% (early), AP call
- Associated Press — certified primary counts (Desmond 73,508 / 38.9%; von Wilpert 39,327 / 20.8%)
- CalMatters (4/6/26) & Fox News (3/6/26) — Issa retirement and endorsement of Desmond
- San Diego Union-Tribune — supervisor race coverage and CA-48 Q&As
- Ballotpedia (CA-48) — registration and Red-to-Blue listing
- Official Secretary of State certified list of qualified candidates (2026 general)