California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa is considering running for a House seat in Texas, perhaps the strangest shakeup in this mid-decade redistricting battle.
If the Supreme Court upholds the new maps in Texas, Issa would likely run for Texas’ 32nd District, a seat that is currently held by Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson. Johnson’s Dallas-area seat was split into eight in the redraw.
Issa’s San Diego-area seat was made more Democratic in California’s redraw. But it’s not unwinnable for Republicans. Former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won the district by 3 points. Issa would, however, have to run a tough general election.
Issa’s Texas jump only works if the Supreme Court lets Republicans’ newly drawn map remain in place for the midterms. A lower court ruling tossed out the map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court is expected to decide in the coming days which map Texas will use.
Under the 2025 map, the Dallas-area seat that Issa is considering is deep red. Ryan Binkley, a wealthy pastor who ran for president in 2024, is already running. More Republicans are certain to jump in the race if the new map stays in place and the seat remains GOP-leaning.
The district Issa is weighing runs from north of Dallas in Addison to the east near the Louisiana border, and 55% of the district is Republican.
Issa is very wealthy. But Issa has not appeared eager to use his own funds on his political campaigns. Issa retired ahead of the 2018 cycle when it seemed his district was at risk of flipping. In 2020, Issa ran to fill the seat of the embattled GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter.
