BREAKING: GOP House Rep. Darrell Issa To Retire

CNBC reports:

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Ca., will not seek re-election later this year, opening up another battleground in the deep blue state as Republicans and Democrats spar for control of the House. Issa’s decision to leave Congress follows the announced retirement of Rep. Ed Royce, R-Ca., earlier this week. He announced the move in a statement on Wednesday.

His decision to leave opens up an opportunity for Democrats in one of the American states most friendly to the party. Issa, who joined Congress in 2001, only narrowly got re-elected to his seat in California’s 49th Congressional District in 2016. In the presidential race, Hillary Clinton won his district by 7 percentage points.

Serving #CA49 has been the privilege of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart – thank you – to everyone for your support and the honor of serving you all these years. My full statement on my decision not to seek reelection: https://t.co/zjlkeiqnzs

— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) January 10, 2018