San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, a Republican, has jumped in the race for Rep. Darrell Issa's 49th Congressional District seat.
Voice of San Diego first reported her run. Gaspar's campaign consultant Jason Roe confirmed it to KPBS.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer and City Councilman Scott Sherman have endorsed Gaspar, according to Voice of San Diego.
Gaspar was elected as a supervisor in 2016, and was recently voted chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Before her run for supervisor, she was mayor of Encinitas.
Issa announced recently he would not run for re-election in his district, which includes northern San Diego County and parts of Orange County.
With his decision to step aside after nine terms, Issa joined a string of GOP lawmakers who are retiring rather than take on what would be a difficult re-election battle.
Democrats with plans to retake control of the House hope to oust a handful of California Republicans whose districts former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton carried. Issa's seat, the coastal 49th District, is among them.
California Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside, has already announced he will run for the seat.
Chavez, a retired Marine Colonel, was first elected to California’s 76th Assembly District in 2012. Prior to that he served on the Oceanside City Council for seven years.
Republican Diane Harkey, the chair of the California State Board of Equalization, has reportedly also announced her intention to run for Issa's seat. Harkey has served as the Mayor of Dana Point and was State Assemblywoman for the 73rd Assembly District from 2008 to 2014.
There are currently four Democratic candidates vying for the 49th district seat: Mike Levin; Doug Applegate, who nearly defeated Isssa in November 2016; Paul Kerr; and Sara Jacobs.
