Former Congressman Darrell Issa said over the weekend he'll run for Duncan Hunter's 50th District Congressional seat if he isn't appointed to a position in the Trump administration soon.
Issa has been nominated to be director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. But the approval process for the job has been stalled for almost a year.
Issa told the California Report there's a limit to the length of time he'll wait for confirmation to the post.
"Quite frankly, if I'm not confirmed by Nov. 3, then I expect I'll be a candidate for the Congressional seat," Issa said. He added that he has invited the Trump White House to cancel their nomination of him.
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Hunter, a Republican who's been indicted for misusing campaign funds, has become too weak a candidate, Issa said.
"There's nothing wrong with his voting. But he is injured in a way that, according to most polls I've seen — all polls I've seen — he cannot win re-election. And as a Republican I don't want to lose a seat that is clearly a seat that we need to have to get back in the majority," Issa said.
Hunter's East County seat is much more solidly Republican than the 49th District, the seat Issa gave up, and was won last year by Democrat Mike Levin. Hunter is still running for re-election in the 50th District.
