SurveyUSA is out with a poll of the March top-two primary for the San Diego Union-Tribune of California’s 50th Congressional District, and it finds indicted GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter in very bad shape.
2018 Democratic nominee Ammar Campa-Najjar earns first place with 31% of the vote while former conservative radio host Carl DeMaio edges fellow Republican Darrell Issa, who represented the neighboring 49th District until January 2016, for the second general election spot.
Hunter, who is scheduled to stand trial in January on corruption charges, is in fourth place with just 11%, while GOP state Sen. Brian Jones earns 4%. Hunter held off Campa-Najjar just 51.7-48.3 last year to keep this inland San Diego County district, but Democrats will almost certainly have a much tougher time flipping this 55-40 Trump seat if the incumbent isn’t on next year’s ballot.
It doesn’t help Hunter that, while he has been using much of what’s left of his campaign account on legal expenses, two of his most prominent intra-party rivals will have access to plenty of money. DeMaio, who narrowly lost a 2012 contest for mayor of San Diego and a 2014 race in the neighboring 52nd District, reported raising a massive $1.3 million during his first two months in the race. Issa only entered the contest last week just before the fundraising quarter ended, but the former congressman is extremely wealthy and likely can self-fund if he chooses to.
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