California GOP Congressman Darrell Issa narrowly wins seat
SAN DIEGO — The wealthiest member of Congress is keeping his job.
Republican Darrell Issa narrowly defeated Marine-turned-lawyer Doug Applegate after a bitter contest in in the 49th District north of San Diego.
Unofficial returns Monday showed Issa holding a 2,348-vote edge, with only a small number of votes left to tally. Vote-counting extended for weeks after the election as officials tallied late-arriving mail ballots and those filled out at polling places.
For years, the eight-term congressman and chief antagonist of President Barack Obama and Democrat Hillary Clinton faced scant competition in the Republican-leaning district. But Donald Trump’s presence on the top of the ticket and diversifying electorate opened the way for a tight contest.