Democrat Campa-Najjar advances to runoff in race to fill Hunter’s vacant California seat

Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar advanced to the run-off in the race to fill the vacancy left by disgraced former Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in California’s 50th District.

Campa-Najjar will likely face either former Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who’s attempting a congressional comeback, or former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, who were running second and third respectively in the all-party primary held on Tuesday.

Issa, best known for his tenure as House Oversight Committee chairman during the Obama administration, is running to represent a San Diego-area district that neighbors the one he previously held.

Campa-Najjar is attempting his second attempt after losing to Hunter by less than four points in 2018. He previously worked as a deputy regional field director for former President Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012 and later secured a position in the Labor Department leading the Office of Public Affairs for the Employment and Training Administration.

Hunter resigned in January after pleading guilty to a corruption charge related to illegally spending at least $150,000 in campaign funds for personal use.