Prominent House Republican announces retirement

WASHINGTON—Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the former chairman of the influential House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced Wednesday he would not seek reelection in his San Diego–area district. “Throughout my service, I worked hard and never lost sight of the people our government is supposed to serve,” he said in a statement. “Yet with the support of my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection in California's 49th District.” Issa, 64, unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1998 and first won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000. The lawmaker chaired the Oversight Committee from 2011 to 2015, during which time he dogged then-President Barack Obama about the 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and took the lead in investigating what was known as the Fast and Furious gun-smuggling operation. In 2016, Issa won reelection by half a percentage point in a district that favored Hillary Clinton by about seven points. Issa took heat at the end of last year for opposing the GOP tax overhaul because he believed it would disproportionately harm California residents. His retirement announcement came two days after House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., announced he would retire after this year. Like Issa, Royce represents a competitive district targeted by Democrats to slim the Republican House minority. Issa’s announcement added to the long list of more than 50 lawmakers, including seven committee chairmen, who have already departed Congress or plan to after this year. Issa is the wealthiest member of Congress, with a fortune estimated at more than $250 million. He founded Directed Electronics, a company known for developing anti-theft devices for cars.