Written by Michael Palomba
As the primary results approach being finalized, the results are becoming clear. The 50th congressional race is no exception, as former Rep. Darrell Issa has secured a top-two slot and will advance to the general election against Democratic candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar.
Fellow Republicans Carl DeMaio and Brian Jones both executed praiseworthy campaigns, and will undoubtedly continue to advance conservative ideas in their respective capacities.
In a statement released Tuesday, DeMaio thanked his supporters and made clear that “our fight is far from over.” DeMaio has shown a commitment to government accountability and transparency and outlined to his supporters what the agenda going forward is:
- Reform California: Starting tomorrow I will resume my role as Chairman of Reform California! Our top priority is to Save Prop 13 and stop the property tax hike on the November ballot. We will also fight the local tax hikes the politicians are cooking up.
- Returning to Radio: Within the next few days I will be resuming my weekday radio show so we can continue to use the power of the bully pulpit to inform and engage voters in our fight. Stay tuned for our start date!
- Uniting the Team to Win: We must unite behind the best candidates in the best target seats to win in November – including David Valadao, Young Kim, Darrell Issa, Michele Steele, etc. I have pledged to use the entire grassroots political operation we have built to help those candidates.
He also noted that he is “110% committed to continuing our fight to TAKE BACK CALIFORNIA.”
Brian Jones has been extremely impressive with his work in the State Senate, with his priorities of Traditional Values, Fiscal Responsibility, a Strong Military, Border Security, and protecting the Second Amendment resonating with his conservative constituency.
For supporters of either DeMaio or Jones, the primary election may feel discouraging, but the bigger picture can’t be ignored. Darrell Issa will be running against Ammar Campa-Najjar in November, leaving voters with a choice between an experienced Republican committed to advancing President Trump’s agenda, and a Democrat posing as a moderate in an attempt to seize the reins of political power.
While the 50th district is strongly conservative, the primary results show that Republicans can’t afford to get complacent.
Campa-Najjar secured the most primary votes, with the aggregated vote total of Issa, DeMaio, and Jones being 54.33% as of yesterday. This slim majority shows why Republicans must unite around Issa. If not, then we could potentially see the district flip to a Democrat for the first time in decades.
