Democrat who won Issa’s open House seat advances in California primary

Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) will face Republican Brian Maryott in November in his race for a second term after they both advanced in the all-party primary Tuesday.

The district, which spans Orange and San Diego counties, flipped from red to blue for the first time in 2018 and is trending Democratic.

The district had previously been represented by former House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), but carried by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Issa opted to retire after he only narrowly won reelection in 2016.

Neither Levin, a former environmental attorney, nor Maryott, a financial adviser and member of the San Juan Capistrano City Council, faced opposition in the primary. For both, the real fight is coming in November during the general election.

Levin defeated his GOP challenger in 2018 by nearly 13 points. Both parties are watching closely to see if Levin’s victory was a fluke or a sign that the district is becoming Democratic territory.

The Cook Political Report currently rates the race as “likely Democratic.”