As the general election draws closer, all eyes are on California’s 48th Congressional District, outside San Diego. Democrats see it as one of the most promising seats to flip in their bid to retake control of Congress. Longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa plans to vacate the seat after Proposition 50 led California to redraw his district.
In November, voters will decide between Republican Jim Desmond and Democrat Marni von Wilpert—and between two starkly different visions for how to grow the San Diego region’s economy and bring down costs.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, one in three Californians name the cost of living and inflation as the most important issue for the 2026 election.
California’s cost of living is higher than in other places with similar median incomes, and people’s incomes are not keeping pace with inflation.
Desmond’s campaign has pledged to restore the “California dream” by lowering taxes, reducing excessive regulations, and curbing the soaring costs that are “driving families out of the state.” But his political record doesn’t match his affordability pitch.
As gas prices in California skyrocketed to nearly $6 per gallon, Desmond expressed support for President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
As of July 2026, the direct military cost of the U.S. war with Iran has reached $37.5 billion, according to the Department of Defense. Petroleum market watchdog groups say between February 28 and June 15, 2026, retail gas prices rose by $1.10 per gallon in California.
“It’s unfortunate that the oil prices are going up, but I do believe that this is a spike and President Trump is right,” Desmond said on a Real America’s Voice segment.
Desmond votes against a safety-net response for working families
This isn’t the first time the MAGA-backed Desmond has thrown his support behind Trump’s economic agenda.
In May 2025, as a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Desmond voted against using county cash reserves to prevent local budget cuts, leaving vulnerable families to fend for themselves.
Desmond justified his vote by saying, “I’m proud to have stood against the reckless attempt to raid our county’s emergency reserves—a move that would have put our families and communities at risk when disaster strikes,” he said.
In July 2025, Desmond was the lone vote against developing a plan to respond to federal cuts to Medi-Cal and CalFresh. Those cuts, passed as part of President Trump’s 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, are estimated to take away Medicaid and food assistance benefits from tens of thousands of residents in the district.
In March of this year, Desmond voted against his own proposal to assist first-time homebuyers at the county board. Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer proposed adding language that formally opposed the Trump administration policies, which she claimed have contributed to rising housing costs.
Desmond, the original sponsor, voted against the proposal, calling it an unnecessary political statement. In a post on X, Desmond said his colleagues loaded the proposal with “politically motivated amendments that had nothing to do with housing….Rather than let a poisoned version move forward, I pulled my support.”
Desmond’s withdrawal of the housing proposal raises an important question as the election approaches: after supporting Trump’s agenda, can he win California voters’ support? Or will his previous actions overshadow the key issues he pledged to focus on during his campaign?
