Rep. Darrell Issa declared victory in his race for the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, even though the California contest has not been officially called in his favor.
“The voters of the 49th District have spoken, and I am grateful for their support in our winning campaign,” Issa said in an email Wednesday night, the Orange County Register reports. “As the final ballots are counted, we are confident they will affirm the results from Election Night.”
Issa’s challenger, retired Marine Corps Col. Doug Applegate, believes the race is still undecided. “The professionals who work at the Orange and San Diego County Registrar of voters are working around the clock to ensure every vote is counted,” Applegate’s campaign manager Robert Dempsey told the Register. “It’s important that we let them do their jobs. There are hundreds of thousands of ballots left to count.”
— Col Doug Applegate (@ApplegateCA49) November 10, 2016
Orange County officials consider “close contests” those races that are within two points, Neal Kelley, Orange County Registrar of Voters told the Register. Issa’s lead is higher than Kelley’s margin, but the county is still refraining from calling the race.
Early numbers showed Applegate ahead in California’s 49th District, but Issa was ahead by 3,979 votes, or 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent Thursday. NBC San Diego called the race in Issa’s favor Wednesday.
Republicans will still control both houses of Congress whether or not Issa wins his race.
Issa, who serves the 49th district (and has since 2001), faced a difficult race in Orange County, which voted for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — the first time the county supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1936. Issa even campaigned using his work with President Barack Obama on the Survivor’s Bill of Rights, a new law that protects rape victims.
Obama called Issa’s campaign statement “the definition of chutzpah.” (RELATED: Obama Slams Issa For Doing His Job, Says His Administration Has Not Had A ‘Major Scandal’)
The former chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform even suggested last week that he would be willing to advise Hillary Clinton on national security, if she asked.
Applegate said “Issa’s days are numbered” at his campaign’s headquarters Tuesday evening.
Applegate’s wife, Priscilla Applegate, filed restraining order against him for alleged domestic abuse and stalking in 2002 (RELATED: Issa’s Dem Challenger Allegedly Abused Wife, Wanted To Oust Female Judge)
Applegate claimed that a judge should be removed from his child custody evaluation earlier this year because she had filed an “extremely similar” police report to what was seen in the charges made by his ex-wife, and would not be objective.
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