Just after the polls closed on election night, Republican Jim Desmond and Democrat Marni von Wilpert were leading a crowded field in a hotly contested North County congressional race that could be pivotal to deciding control of Congress this fall.
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Three-time congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar was running in a distant third behind von Wilpert, according to early returns.
Economist Brandon Riker and cybersecurity entrepreneur Kevin O’Neil followed in fourth and fifth place.
The top two finishers in the open June primary will advance to the November election. Thousands of ballots remain to be counted, and the winners may not be known for days.
The 48th Congressional District — one of five seats statewide that Democrats hope to capture after voter-approved redistricting — is seen as critical in determining which party will control the House of Representatives.
Desmond has represented North County on the San Diego Board of Supervisors since 2018 and was widely expected to advance past the primary, having locked up Republican support after incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa decided not to run for another term.
In a statement, Desmond called his strong showing a win for residents concerned about taxes and the rising cost of living.
“This win belongs to the families who are sick of being taxed out of their own neighborhoods,” Desmond said. “Tonight they sent a message to every tax-happy, out-of-touch politician who forgot who they work for.”
Von Wilpert has represented northern San Diego neighborhoods like Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Ranch on the council since 2020.
She said she felt “energized” by the early returns and attacked Desmond for his support of the Trump administration.
“Jim Desmond has proven he will be just another rubber stamp for an extreme MAGA agenda that raises costs, attacks fundamental freedoms and leaves working families behind,” von Wilpert said.
The stakes in the election created a much more competitive race among the many Democrats running, with Campa-Najjar, Riker and von Wilpert pushing hard to mobilize supporters and push their message in the campaign’s final days.
Von Wilpert is considered one of the more moderate among the nine Democrats on the San Diego City Council.
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On the campaign trail, she touted her support for abortion rights and her time at the City Attorney’s Office working on corporate misconduct cases. She also had the backing of key California labor unions like the AFL-CIO, SEIU and the California Teachers Association.
Campa-Najjar, who had run for a similar seat twice before, bet that name recognition from those races would help carry him through the primary. He campaigned on a progressive message, calling for single-payer health care and a ban on stock trading by members of Congress.
Campa-Najjar did not immediately return a request for comment on election night.
On election day, Riker had been hoping for a strong showing in the Riverside County portion of the district, Palm Springs in particular. A first-time candidate, he spent the campaign calling for reforms to the tax system to reduce inequality.
Throughout the campaign, Riker spent about $1.9 million — nearly double what Campa-Najjar and von Wilpert spent combined. But outside groups, which can raise unlimited amounts of money, stepped in to bolster Campa-Najjar and von Wilpert.
About $7.3 million has flowed into the race from super PACS and other outside groups. Nearly $3.3 million has gone toward just attacking Campa-Najjar, most of it from a pro-Israel group who has endorsed von Wilpert.
San Diego County voters were also deciding Tuesday who would advance to the November election in four other congressional races featuring incumbent Democrats.
Just after the polls closed, Rep. Mike Levin was leading his two GOP challengers in the 49th Congressional District, which stretches north from Del Mar along the coast into Orange County.
Of his two Republican challengers, Armen Kurdian, a retired U.S. Navy officer, was pulling the second-most votes, with conservative columnist Star Parker trailing in third.
Under Proposition 50, the district — previously the county’s most competitive — was redrawn to have a bigger Democratic registration advantage.
In the 50th Congressional District, which includes parts of the city of San Diego and inland North County, Rep. Scott Peters was leading five challengers, with Steve Cohen, a Republican and former KUSI news director, running in second.
Rep. Sara Jacobs was leading in the 51st Congressional District, which extends from San Diego into rural East County, with Republican Ricardo Cabrera a distant second. And in the 52nd Congressional District based in the South Bay, Rep. Juan Vargas was leading, with Republican Jeff Belle in second.
Staff writer Caleb Lunetta contributed reporting.
