Rep. Darrell Issa

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was recently heard discussing California's mid-decade redistricting plans — which included criticism of one of his Republican colleagues for running against an incumbent GOP member of Congress.

Spectrum News reporter Cassie Semyon posted the clip of Issa's remarks to X on Thursday, in which he's heard speaking to someone whose face is not shown about the upcoming Republican primary in California's newly redrawn 40th Congressional District. That race pits Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) against Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) due to new district lines imposed by California's Prop 50, which voters overwhelmingly approved in November.

"Ken [Calvert] has nowhere else to go. [Kim] does have a hard seat she could go to, and I know the administration would look favorably if she would do that," Issa is heard saying. "And then if she doesn't win, you know, she could go to the administration for two years. With Ken, we need him exactly where he is, and most of this district is or has been his. If anyone else had a claim for it, it'd be me."

As the New York Times reported, Kim is the incumbent in the 40th district, which stretches from Laguna Beach in Orange County to Chino Hills in San Bernardino County. Calvert previously represented the 41st District, which encompasses parts of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and is now challenging Kim in her district due to Prop 50's new boundaries that carved up Republican districts.

"It’s a game of musical chairs, and a bunch of chairs just got taken away from the game," Republican strategist Rob Stutzman told the Times last month. "So they’re going to be competing for what’s left."

Issa's comment about having a "claim" to the district is also noteworthy, given that his own district was affected by Prop 50. His district — the 48th — was previously in the East County area of San Diego County and the Temecula Valley. But the district's new boundaries have now been pushed west and north, making it far more favorable to Democrats. According to NOTUS, the 48th Congressional District went from having a 12-point Republican advantage to a four-point Democratic advantage.

Fox News reported Thursday that Issa will run in 2026 to represent the 48th District despite having an uphill battle to remain in Congress. The California Republican — who has been in office since 2001 — was briefly considering moving to Texas to run for Congress there before deciding to remain in the Golden State.

Watch the clip of Issa's remarks below: