A Close Race for Darrell Issa, the House Mini-Trump
By EMMARIE HUETTEMAN OCT. 27, 2016
nytimes.com
MODESTO, Calif. — For more than 15 years, Representative Darrell Issa has not so much as put out a yard sign. A Republican comfortably ensconced in his Southern California seat, he has blown by one challenger after another since being elected in 2000.
The days of his double-digit victories may be over. When the campaign season began, Mr. Issa was on nobody’s list of vulnerable incumbents. Often cited as the wealthiest member of Congress, he is said to be able to bankroll his own campaign. His district has not undergone major demographic changes. And for years he had promised to be the most vigilant interrogator of the Obama administration from his perch on an oversight committee, which Republicans cheered.
But in this upside down year, Mr. Issa finds himself suddenly in danger of defeat, a prognosis only worsened by his decision to embrace Donald J. Trump.
“It’s a mystifyingly bad campaign that Issa’s run,” said David Wasserman, an editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “And he is in grave danger.”
Democrats, who cannot contain their glee at the prospect of his defeat, are trying to make the case that Mr. Issa is not alone. “If Darrell Issa, a long-term member who is well known in his district and outside his district, who is the richest member of Congress, is on the cusp of losing,” said Representative Xavier Becerra of California, a member of House Democratic leadership, “then it’s not just Darrell Issa who’s going down.”
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