After Proposition 50 passed, which sliced up GOP congressional districts in California, Rep. Darrell Issa said he wasn’t leaving.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll continue to represent the people of California — regardless of their party or where they live,” the 72-year-old Republican said in a statement sent to SFGATE after the Nov. 4 vote. “I’m not quitting on California. And neither should anyone else,” he reiterated at the time.

With the passage of Prop. 50, California’s congressional districts are now completely rearranged — and five heavily Republican seats have been changed to favor incoming Democratic challengers. For Issa, who was first elected to Congress in 2001, his post-passage statement was a reflection of how consequential the redistricting ballot measure would be to the longevity of his job.

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Yet despite having insisted he was “not going anywhere” just one month ago, Punchbowl News reported on Monday that Issa is planning to leave California politics –– and is toying with a congressional run in Texas next year instead.

Jonathan Wilcox, a representative for Issa, told SFGATE in an email on Monday evening that he could not confirm Punchbowl’s report, but he left his note on a cliff-hanger.

“We don’t have any news to make tonight — but stay tuned,” he said, adding: “On the record!” 

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The speculation comes as Issa, along with his Republican colleagues, confronts the reality that he could lose his seat. Issa’s district, District 48, was one of five that was redrawn under Prop. 50 to favor Democrats. Whereas the district used to span San Diego and Riverside counties, it is now set to add Palm Springs and three other cities in San Diego County, including Escondido, San Marcos and Vista. Those changes will shift District 48 away from its Republican-dominated voter population and to a generous Democratic lead. 

Issa previously did not run for reelection in 2018; that year, the district was becoming increasingly Democratic and was rated a “toss up” by nonpartisan political analysts. He did, however, successfully jump back in the race during the 2020 election and has held his seat representing both San Diego and Riverside counties since then. 

It is not uncommon for a member of Congress to run for a different district in their state — Issa himself has done this before, and his fellow newly endangered Republicans are also considering whether to run in different districts next year — but leaving to run in another state altogether is unprecedented, one Republican strategist told SFGATE.

Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist, told SFGATE it would be “wild” if Issa left California.

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“I can’t think of a precedent for that. Especially someone trading flip-flops for cowboy boots,” Stutzman said.

California Rep. Ro Khanna, an outspoken Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, called the potential move “bizarre” in a phone call with SFGATE on Tuesday.

“I think it’s hilarious. To run in two different states?” he said “ … It’s kind of bizarre, I’ll leave it at that.”

U.S. representatives are required to live in the state they represent but are not required to live in the district they serve in. It is unclear, however, whether Issa owns a residence in Texas.

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Issa would be leaving the Golden State to run for Texas’ 32nd District, a Dallas-area seat that is currently held by Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson, Punchbowl News reported. Under that state’s new redistricting law, her seat is now vulnerable. 

If he follows through, Issa would be parting ways with his San Diego County district, where he has served on and off for the last 25 years. 

Issa has been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump. He most recently nominated the president for a Nobel Peace Prize, praising him as a leader that “kickstarted” peace throughout the world.

Whether Texas’ new map holds up or not will be decided soon by the U.S. Supreme Court. Last month, a federal panel of judges decided the Texas map was unconstitutional on the grounds that it was “racially gerrymandered,” but the Supreme Court temporarily restored those lines. Issa would likely only make the jump to Texas if the new map is upheld by the high court.

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Candidates have until an early March deadline to jump into the 2026 midterms race in time for the June primary. Stutzman, the Republican strategist, said Issa’s departure could make room for a more fresh-faced Republican to step into District 48.

One of those candidates could be Jim Desmond, a current member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who announced earlier this year he was running to represent part of San Diego County. He did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment before the time of publication. 

Rusty Hicks, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, told SFGATE on Tuesday that he was confident that under Prop. 50, Issa would be out of California either way.

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“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “Darrel Issa can retire now or run off to Texas. Either way, when new membership is sworn in in 2027, Darrell Issa will not be a member of congressional California. That’s all that matters.”