Darrell Issa, Obama Antagonist And Trump Booster, Faces Toughest Election Of His Life

OCEANSIDE, Calif. For the first time in 15 years, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is fighting to hang on to his seat in Congress and its probably as much Donald Trump s fault as it is his own.

Issa was taken by surprise when a former Marine colonel, Democrat Doug Applegate, had a strong primary turnout in June that propelled him onto the November ballot.

Applegate, 62, has never held political office before. Hed never even run for office before jumping into this race. Applegate is running as a progressive, one whos for repealing Citizens United and wants to implement a carbon tax. Hes also a veteran who served in Iraq a strategic blunder, he says and a retired trial lawyer who decries the racist, unjust U.S. criminal and civil justice system.

Despite being an unknown, Applegate came within 5.3 points of Issa in Californias free-for-all primary system, where the top two vote-getters make it to the general election. The two will now face off again next month. In a normal year, Issa probably wouldnt have to worry. But as Trump falters nationally, theres a growing fear that he and other congressional Republicans even those from seemingly secure districts will be pulled down as well. Indeed, if 2016 is going to be a wave election, one where the Democrats potentially retake control of the House of Representatives, it will be by scoring once-inconceivable victories in races like the one in Californias 49th district.

Political watchers see the Issa race as a barometer of broader political winds. For the first time in his career, the congressmans re-election is in doubt. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns, moved Issas race from the likely Republican column to toss up last week.

An internal poll for Applegates campaign conducted late last month had the Democrat up by 4 points, and found a favorable environment for Democrats in the district more generally, with Hillary Clinton 14 points ahead of Trump. Nationally, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll conducted after the release of a 2005 tape of Trump saying he can get away with grabbing women by the pussy found Democrats with a 7-point advantage on generic congressional races. (Issas own internal polling puts him up by 9 points, however, an aide told The Huffington Post.)

Democrats are riding the anti-Trump trend in this coastal district, home to the scenic beach towns of Orange County and palm tree-lined streets of San Diego County. They are not just highlighting Issas Trump endorsement , or that the congressman is sticking by Trump until his bitter end. Theyre doing their best to cast Issa, the richest member of Congress with an estimated $254.7 million net worth, as an enabler of the Republican presidential nominee, a man cut from the same cloth.

Issa hasnt helped himself on that front. He joined Trumps national security advisory board on the same day the 2005 tape became public. Applegates campaign turned the tape into a television ad just a few days later, looping Trumps comments over the image of a press release announcing Issas role. While Issa put out a statement condemning Trumps comments , he hasnt rescinded his endorsement of the Republican nominee.

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