When Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announced he was dropping out of his reelection campaign last month, Democrats threw a party. But their celebration might have been premature. The guy replacing him on the ballot, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, is looking like a genuinely tough opponent, maybe even tougher than Issa himself.

Here’s the deal: California’s new redistricting plan flipped the 48th Congressional District from deep red to slightly blue, making it one of the most competitive races in the state. The district covers most of East and North County San Diego plus parts of Riverside County, including Palm Springs. On paper, this should be a winnable seat for Democrats. But Desmond’s got something Issa didn’t: he’s not tied to Trump, he’s got serious name recognition in the area, and he’s already raised nearly $1.4 million. Political insiders are calling him a “formidable opponent”.

The problem for Democrats? They can’t get their act together. Three major candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination: San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, former Obama official Ammar Campa-Najjar, and Palm Springs businessman Brandon Riker. At the California Democratic Party convention, von Wilpert came close to getting the party’s endorsement but fell short by just missing the 60% threshold she needed. Campa-Najjar got 18% of delegates’ support. No party endorsement means no official campaign funding boost, and it also means the candidates are basically fighting each other instead of focusing on Desmond.

Things have gotten pretty messy. Von Wilpert and Campa-Najjar have been trading accusations, she’s called him anti-LGBTQ, he’s accused her of racism. On top of that, Campa-Najjar is facing scrutiny over allegations that he misrepresented his military service and made racist and sexist remarks on social media years ago. Republicans are definitely enjoying watching Democrats tear each other apart.

Desmond’s campaign is positioning him as a moderate focused on affordability and public safety. He’s got endorsements from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which says it’s optimistic about his chances. Democrats are trying to tie him to his controversial COVID-19 comments from 2020, when he downplayed the severity of deaths in San Diego, and his votes against county policies limiting ICE access to facilities.

The good news for Democrats? A competitive primary could actually help them build name recognition throughout the district before facing Desmond in November. The bad news? It’s currently a total mess, and voters are confused about who’s even running. At a recent No Kings rally in Escondido, many protesters admitted they weren’t sure about the race at all.

With the June primary approaching fast, Democrats need to figure out which candidate has the best shot against Desmond. Right now, they’re running out of time.