Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon. (Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Assembly Majority Ian Calderon Announces That He Will Not Seek Re-Election in 2020.
Calderon’s departure opens up another swing district in the Assembly
By Evan Symon, November 28, 2019 7:33 am
Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) announced in a statement on Tuesday that he will not seek re-election.
Assemblyman Calderon, who has held the seat for the 57th district since 2012 when he was only 27, has said that he wishes to spend more time with his family.
“I have thought a lot about what’s most important to me as a husband and a father, and how I can be the best partner and parent,” said Assemblyman Calderon in his statement. ” These are the two most important things in the world to me. As a result, and after much thought and consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking re-election to the state assembly in 2020.”
“The one regret I’ve heard most from other parents I’ve asked is that they wished they had spent more time at home while their kids were young. This isn’t a regret I wish to share.”
Calderon’s office did not respond to calls from the Globe regarding his departure, but additional factors, such as his uncles, former state Senator Ron Calderon and former Assemblyman Tom Calderon, being charged with bribery in 2016, may have played a part in this decision.
“‘Wanting to spend time with my family’, is almost always code for something”, explained ‘Dana’, who works at the state capitol building in Sacramento. “Sometimes it’s because they’re facing hot water for something and they leave under that reason like [former Congressman] Gary Condit did over the Chandra Levy affair in 2003. Other times it means they’re taking a year or two off before going for higher office. It’s what Mitt Romney said on not wanting to run for another office after being the Massachusetts governor in 2007, only to run for president the next year. And then in 2012. And then he became a Senator earlier this year.”
“Family is rarely the only factor, so if he wasn’t worried about his family name being tainted from his uncles, he may be taking his time off before running for a bigger office. He’s a young, 34-year-old Democrat in California who led the Assembly. His dad [Former Assembly Majority Leader Charles Calderon] was California political royalty. Others in his position, like [Congresswoman] Nanette Barragan moved ahead after leaving for a bit. Chances are we’ll see him again in 2022 or 2024. Politicians like him don’t walk away for too long.”
His pulling out of the 2020 election also frees up the 57th district, which covers Southeast LA County. While it has a history of being slightly more blue, it has proved to be a swing district when no long-term incumbent is running, much like the 2014 Assembly election when he barely won with 51% of the vote to Republican challenger Rita Topalian.
Calderon is due to leave the Assembly next year, with elections for the newly open seat to be scheduled for the November 2020 ballot.
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How do we get the entire Democrat slate to retire to spend more time with their families???
Good riddance!
Ever time I have contacted Ian I get nothing but platitudes in a letter telling me what the bill I am commenting on says. Really pisses me off. I wouldn’t be commenting on the bill if I didn’t know what it was about.
The “something” is his fall out with his Dad, who failed to secure a quid pro quo judgeship earlier this year. Legislating is hard work when Daddy’s no longer doing the back door dealings for you. California politics have been infected with corruption, and it’s expected that more do-nothing Democrats will be abdicating their seats in shame after 2020, as constituents wise up. Looking forward to the new wave of leaders coming who will whip CA into shape. The other comments really say it best. Very little was accomplished and a lavish lifestyle was lived on tax payer dime. Buh-bye.