Democrat Marni von Wilpert wins election to U.S. House in California’s 48th Congressional District

Democrat Marni von Wilpert won election Wednesday to the U.S. House of Representatives representing California’s 48th Congressional District, defeating Republican Jim Desmond. Von Wilpert is a member of the San Diego City Council and a former prosecutor. She also spent time in President Barack Obama’s administration as a workers’ rights attorney. She benefitted from the state’s passage of Proposition 50 to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional district boundaries, winning a seat that had been held by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who opted to retire. Desmond is a San Diego County supervisor. The Associated Press declared von Wilpert the winner at 8:32 p.m. EST.