Jim Desmond

California’s 48th (CA - 48)

Updated: August 26, 2026

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Overview

Trump and MAGA’s chaos in DC is making your life more expensive and Jim Desmond is 100% MAGA. Jim Desmond is part of the pay to play corruption helping himself with taxpayer money and money from big donors, not helping you. 

SUMMARY

Likely voters, especially those with a minor party registration or without a party preference, Latino Democratic men, Democratic men over the age of 60, and voters in San Marcos, in the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs media markets need to see digital ads on YouTube, streaming, receive mail, and see San Diego broadcast TV ads starting nine weeks before the election, that:

  • First, Jim Desmond is behind Trump even when Trump is against California. Desmond supports Trump’s tariffs, which cost California households up to $2,500 more and California businesses $11.3 billion. He also supports Trump’s war with Iran even though it caused gas prices to skyrocket to more than $6 per gallon in the San Diego area, calling the price hikes on working families, “no pain, no gain.”
  • Next, Jim Desmond is a multi-millionaire who allegedly cozied up to developers and backchanneled with lobbyists and subsequently faced multiple investigations and legal complaints. Desmond has taken over $144,000 in campaign cash from real estate developers even as he is under investigation for an alleged conflict of interest after he gave a donor’s company funding using San Diego County taxpayer dollars. Desmond would fit right in with Trump’s corrupt Congress that enriches themselves and their wealthy donors instead of working for us. 
  • Then, Jim Desmond supports Trump’s law that gives trillions in tax breaks to large corporations and billionaires paid for by cutting health care, in-home care for seniors, and food assistance. Desmond supports Trump’s law that slashed Medi-Cal and puts nearly two million Californians at risk of losing their health insurance, while also raising health care costs for those who get insurance through their job. 

Voters, especially younger Latinas, White college women over 40 and White non-college women under 40, district-wide also need to see digital ads on YouTube, streaming, and receive mail, starting seven weeks before Election Day, that:

  • Jim Desmond voted over and over against abortion rights in California, including against stockpiling abortion pills in California after the constitutional right to abortion was taken away, against protecting Planned Parenthood, and against restricting fake pregnancy centers posing as abortion providers to trick women. When our rights are under assault from Jim Desmond and MAGA, Marni von Wilpert will fight to provide affordable healthcare for all. Marni will always stand up for women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions, and she’s endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

Starting five weeks before Election Day, Latino voters, especially Latinas and Latino men under 40 in San Diego County, also need to see digital ads on YouTube, streaming, receive mail, and hear Spanish language radio that say:

  • Jim Desmond supports Trump and ICE’s harassment of our immigrant neighbors, people who he compared to “sewage,” while Marni von Wilpert led the charge to sue ICE for abuses and to end weapons training in San Diego. Desmond was the only member of the Board of Supervisors to vote for more collaboration with ICE and voted to join Trump’s lawsuit against California to strike down our laws and let ICE run rampant with no accountability.

Additional Resources

  • Voters need to hear Jim Desmond in his own words.
  • Voters should hear from Jim Desmond’s own constituents as a County Supervisor and as a Mayor who know that his blind loyalty to Trump is only going to make life harder in Southern California.
  • It is important that voters only in these zip codes in the new Prop 50 CA-48 see digital advertising: 92592, 92078, 92069, 92591, 92084, 92545, 92596, 92026, 92543, 92027, 92083, 92081, 92544, 92262, 92056, 92563, 92025, 92264, 92028, 92082, 92548, 92210, 92549, 92536, 92004, 92585, 92539, 92061, 92029, 92584, 92590, 92561, 92086, 92059, 92036, 92070, 92066, 92567, 92060, 91905, 92003
  • Video of Jim Desmond: “No pain, no gain.”
  • {Back-up}
  • Jim Desmond (CA-48) Research Report



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