Duncan Hunter Resigns
Last updated 1/23/2020 at 2:39pm
After 11 years representing Borrego Springs in the 50th Congressional District, Republican Duncan Hunter submitted his resignation on Jan. 7, one month after pleading guilty to a corruption charge, leaving empty one of the few remaining GOP seats in California.
Hunter’s departure, effective Jan. 13, has ended his family’s political dynasty, where Duncan L. Hunter, his father, and he represented the San Diego County District for almost 30 years. The combat marine veteran served 11 years in Congress.
In his letter, Hunter, 43, gave no reason for his resignation, but told of his time serving as a marine in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that he was also a six-term Congressman.
Hunter pleaded guilty Dec. 3 to a single charge of conspiracy with his wife to illegally spending a sum in excess of $150,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses.
He was one of the few Congressmen to be re-elected while indicted.
The congressional seat up for grabs in November in the heavily Democratic state of California is split among three Republican contenders – Darrel Issa, Carl DiMaio, and current State Senator Brian Jones – and one Democratic hopeful, Ammar Campa-Najjar, who was narrowly defeated by Hunter in the 2018 election.