The Case Against Jim Desmond

On the heels of Darrell Issa’s retirement and the overwhelming passage of Proposition 50, California’s 48th Congressional District became one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities in the country, and key to taking back the House Majority.

Upon his entry to the race, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond was crowned at the eleventh hour by Issa, right before the filing deadline – and tried to sell himself as a “common sense” conservative. But even just a quick skim of his record exposes a different story. Time and time again, Desmond has aligned himself with Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pushing an extreme agenda that raises costs, threatens health care, and puts extreme partisan politics ahead of Southern California families. From backing Trump’s costly forever war of choice in Iran, to supporting cuts that take away Medi-Cal and food assistance, Desmond has made clear he thinks rising costs for California families are ‘no pain, no gain’ and would be another reliable vote for Trump and Washington Republicans – not an independent voice for CA-48.

Marni von Wilpert is the clear choice in this race. Raised in North San Diego County as the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran, Marni built her career around public service and delivering results for working people – from serving in the Peace Corps during the AIDS epidemic, to founding a legal clinic combating discrimination, to helping write the PRO Act in Congress – one of the most important bills to strengthen workers’ rights.

As a San Diego City Councilmember, Deputy City Attorney, and civil prosecutor, Marni has taken on opioid manufacturers, price-gouging corporations, and polluters harming local communities. She flipped one of San Diego’s most conservative council seats and got to work building coalitions to deliver results on affordability and public safety, bringing competent leadership as the Public Safety Chair – the same kind of coalition Democrats are building to flip CA-48.

In a new Democratic-leaning district that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, this race presents voters with a straightforward choice: pragmatic leadership focused on lowering costs and making government work for working people again, or more Trump-style chaos and extremism.

Jim Desmond Has Fully Aligned Himself with Trump and MAGA Extremism

Jim Desmond initially tried to distance himself from Trump. That lasted about two seconds. On the campaign trail, Desmond quickly changed his tune and began praising Trump repeatedly, saying “President Trump is right” about his reckless, cost-raising war in Iran and refusing to “[shy] away from his support for Trump,” even endorsing “some of Trump’s more controversial efforts – including ending birthright citizenship.” He has stood with ICE’s unlawful actions, acting as the sole vote against restricting the agency’s access to county facilities without a warrant and suggested opposition to ICE’s dangerous actions in Minnesota amounted to “ideology.” Desmond has made one thing clear: he would be another dependable vote for Trump and Republicans’ agenda in Congress.

With such a swift pattern of acquiescing to whatever decision Trump and Washington Republicans make that day to hurt Southern California families, it’s no surprise Desmond has dodged interviews and refused to answer questions from local press about where his positions really lie.

Marni has taken the opposite approach – standing up to defend San Diegans from Trump and national Republicans’ failures in Washington at every turn. During repeated federal shutdown threats, she proposed a shutdown fund to support TSA workers and protect operations at San Diego International Airport, ensuring working people didn’t go without pay because of dysfunction in Washington. And as Trump escalated aggressive immigration crackdowns, Marni pushed back against unlawful ICE tactics and led efforts to oppose allowing ICE weapons training at a city-owned facility in Escondido. She has never been afraid to hold government accountable and stand up to abuses of power when her community is at risk – and that’s exactly the kind of fighter CA-48 voters are looking for in Washington.

Jim “No Pain, No Gain” Desmond Supports Cost-Raising Policies Crushing Working Families

As families across Southern California struggle with rising costs on utilities, groceries, gas, and health care, Desmond has repeatedly backed policies that make life more expensive for Southern California families. When Republicans’ passed their Big, Ugly Bill that’s ripping health care away from more than 32,000 people and food assistance for more than 25,000 households in CA-48, Desmond voted against using county reserve funds to stop service cuts and voted against a plan to respond to federal cuts to Medi-Cal and CalFresh – refusing to protect his constituents when he had the power to help. When given the opportunity to disavow reckless tariffs estimated to raise costs for San Diegans by $2,400 more per year and threatening key Southern California industries and small businesses, Desmond voted against his own housing proposal, proving how far he’ll go to protect his party’s toxic policy instead of his own constituents.

And in what is becoming a clear “warning sign” for Republicans: as California gas prices skyrocket to $6 per gallon due to Trump’s reckless war of choice in Iran, Desmond dismissed the financial burden on working families, declaring it “no pain, no gain.” He defended the war and claimed “President Trump is right” and “I support” it. Only after backlash mounted did Desmond try to walk back his comments, conceding that rising gas prices and inflation “cannot be dismissed” – after dismissing them himself in the first place. But the damage was already done. Desmond revealed what we already know: he is more interested in defending Trump’s agenda than lowering costs for Southern California families.

Meanwhile, Marni has focused on real solutions to bring down costs. On the City Council, she has led first-time efforts to secure affordable housing support for local teachers, and worked to make food prices more affordable and accessible for seniors. While Desmond downplays the affordability crisis, Marni has focused on practical solutions that put money back in working families’ pockets.

Jim Desmond Has Prioritized Himself Over Taxpayers

Desmond’s record reveals a clear and disqualifying pattern of self-interest and political ambition. As a County Supervisor, Desmond voted to raise pay for elected officials like himself, while already collecting a taxpayer-funded six-figure salary. He also spent roughly $250,000 taxpayer dollars on lavish office upgrades for his personal comfort, “invit[ing] cynicism” on his purported “fiscal conservat[ivism].” He also made sure to protect his own interests by being the sole vote against capping airport travel expenses for himself as mayor, arguing in favor of taxpayer dollars funding business class travel for elected officials. In addition, he has repeatedly drawn criticism for appearing to be swayed following campaign contributions or correspondence from interested parties. The City of San Marcos even appointed outside counsel to investigate Desmond for allegations that those contributions violated campaign finance laws.

It’s no surprise, then, that Desmond openly said he wants to “follow in [the] footsteps” of retiring Darrell Issa – the fourth richest Member of Congress. Once worth $768 million and in the top .01% of Americans, Issa built a career leveraging his seat in Congress to expand his personal business empire, while voting to raise costs for working people and cut taxes for the wealthy. Birds of a feather. Desmond is running on the same playbook: putting political ambition and wealth ahead of the people he’s supposed to represent.

Marni has built the opposite record: prosecuting corporations that price-gouged consumers, taking on opioid manufacturers fueling addiction, and fighting for workers and families over powerful special interests. She has consistently taken on those powerful interests and won, and will be a Member of Congress that actually answers to the people.

Jim Desmond’s Extreme Record Is Out of Step with Southern California

Desmond has consistently aligned himself with the far-right positions driving voters away from Republicans across suburban California. Desmond has long supported Trump’s attacks on immigrants. He sided with Trump on a lawsuit targeting California’s immigrant protections, and earned direct praise from Trump for doing so. He also drew fire for spreading lies parroting Trump’s rhetoric on local migrant centers. The criticism grew so loud Desmond was forced to admit he wasn’t telling the truth.

Desmond has repeatedly sided against working people – opposing higher wages, transparency for safe working conditions, and measures to strengthen workers’ rights on the job. Desmond has also aligned himself with the extreme gun lobby and opposed commonsense gun safety measures – disqualifying as San Diegans are left reeling from a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and a deadly attack at the Chabad of Poway synagogue still recalled by the community years later.

In direct contrast with Desmond, Marni has built her career standing with labor and fighting for public safety. She helped write the PRO Act in Congress while serving as a labor counsel for the House Education and Labor Committee, landmark legislation to restore workers’ ability to organize, bargain collectively, and hold corporations accountable. She also authored California’s first ban on untraceable ghost guns, partnered with law enforcement as Chair of the Public Safety Committee to reduce senseless violence, expanded opioid treatment programs, strengthened wildfire preparedness, and secured resources for first responders that helped cut down ambulance response times. In this race, Marni is the clear labor candidate fighting to put working families first.

On reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights, the contrast is equally stark. While Republicans continue advancing abortion bans and threats to gay marriage nationwide, and Desmond adopts right-wing talking points, von Wilpert has been a vocal defender of reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights as a proud LGBTQ woman herself.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

ABC10: San Diego explores emergency loan program to support TSA workers during federal shutdowns [ABC 10 San Diego, 4/13/26]

“San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert says the program is designed to fill a gap left by federal inaction.“If the federal government isn’t going to do its job and actually pay the paychecks of federal workers, we here in San Diego are going to pay the price,” von Wilpert said.”

San Diego Union Tribune: Von Wilpert aims to deter violence with ghost gun ban in San Diego [San Diego Union Tribune, 9/8/21]

Cook Political Report: CA-48 Shift in Democrats’ Direction [Cook Political Report, 3/12/26]

“Issa’s trepidation about running in this redrawn seat was clear from the start. The new district, which cuts across San Diego and Riverside Counties, now includes liberal enclaves like Palm Springs, transforming it from a safe Republican seat into one that Kamala Harris carried by three points… 

Right now, it’s clear Democrats have a slight edge in the district, given its underlying partisanship and the national political environment.”

San Diego Union Tribune: President Trump backs Jim Desmond in key North County congressional race [San Diego Union Tribune, 4/14/26]

“von Wilpert said that ‘a vote for Jim Desmond is a vote for more of Trump’s chaos, corruption and rising costs.’” 

CNN: High gas prices become another midterm warning sign for Republicans [CNN, 4/18/26]

“In a midterm election that will likely be decided by how voters feel about the economy, Republicans are grappling with how to discuss the war in Iran and its impact on fuel costs.

…Jim Desmond defended the war effort days after he launched his campaign…“No pain, no gain,” Desmond said during an interview on Real America News. ‘It’s unfortunate that oil prices are going up, but I do believe…President Trump is right…’”

San Diego Union Tribune: Could Democrats win all San Diego County’s seats in Congress? That all depends on one North County race [San Diego Union Tribune, 4/5/26]

“Democrats are in reach of holding every congressional seat in San Diego County. But it all depends on North County…

Desmond … [has] said higher gas prices are necessary costs of the war the U.S. began with Iran five weeks ago. In a TV interview last month, Desmond said high gas prices boiled down to ‘no pain, no gain.’” 

Times of San Diego Opinion: Barbara Boxer: We must flip the 48th District, and Marni von Wilpert can do it [Times of San Diego, 4/29/26]

Times of San Diego: Without Issa to run against, leading Dems in CA-48 race find themselves in a new race [Times of San Diego, 4/3/26]

“Von Wilpert also said the cost-of-living is the defining issue in the race.

‘What I’ve been hearing from everyone in this district is about the skyrocketing cost of living,’ Von Wilpert said. ‘One of the things I’m going to work hard on when I get to congress is undoing the damage of Trump’s ‘Big Ugly Bill.’”

LA Times: Congressional District 48 race: A battleground that could reshape Congress [LA Times, 5/1/26]

“The district, which spans parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, had long been considered firmly Republican territory. But a new map adopted under Proposition 50 dramatically changed the political calculus, turning what had been a GOP stronghold into a district that now slightly favors Democrats. With Republicans hanging on to an extremely slim majority in Congress, a win in District 48 could be just what Democrats need to regain control over the U.S. House of Representatives.

Von Wilpert…promis[es] to ‘make Washington work for working families again — not the wealthy few.’”

PATH TO VICTORY
Proposition 50 shifted CA-48 against Republicans, making this one of Democrats’ best pick-up opportunities in the country. The district now leans Democratic, seeing an uptick of non-white and under 40 voters, as well as Independent voters disillusioned with MAGA extremism and rising costs. The numbers underscore just how competitive – and winnable – this seat has become for Democrats. The new district lines made CA-48 a district Kamala Harris carried in 2024, and one that the House Democratic candidate would have earned 51.3% in. 

Marni enters the race with a uniquely strong profile for the district. Her City Council position gives her built-in name ID for the general election. She has successfully flipped a tough Republican-held seat, delivered results locally, and built the same coalition Democrats need to win in November: working families, independents, labor, Latino voters, and pragmatic suburban voters focused on affordability and stability.

This race presents voters with a clear choice. Jim Desmond is a Trump-aligned career politician backing an extreme agenda that raises costs, threatens health care, and puts partisan politics first. Marni von Wilpert is a proven fighter for working families who has lowered costs, protected rights, strengthened public safety, and delivered real results. In a district increasingly rejecting MAGA extremism, Marni is strongly positioned to flip CA-48 in November.