Why Are So Many California Incumbents Not Running for Re-Election?

California’s Secretary of State just released a list of political offices that will go into extension due to the incumbent(s) not filing for re-election.

“Based on the nomination documents submitted to the Secretary of State by the county elections officials as of 10:03 p.m. on Friday, December 8, 2023, attached is the list of Representative in Congress, State Senator (odd-numbered districts), and Member of the Assembly offices wherein the filing deadline is extended to Wednesday, December 13, 2023,” the Secretary of State said in a letter to All County Clerks and Registrars of Voters.

There are 7 U.S. Congressional offices where the incumbent has not filed for re-election.

There are 9 State Senate Offices, and 15 State Assembly offices.

JUST IN: California's Secretary of State has released the list of offices that will go into extension due to the incumbent not filing for re-election.#AD36's Eduardo Garcia did not file for re-election, the only last-minute surprise on the list.https://t.co/ixm7FMfBPK pic.twitter.com/xiOyw8wH1Z

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) December 9, 2023

The Globe looked into the districts and finds:

U.S. Congress 

District 12 – is Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Alameda/San Francisco), currently running for U.S. Senate.

District 16 – is Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-San Mateo/Santa Clara) who announced she won’t be running in 2024.

District 20 – is Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare), who announced he was retirement from Congress before the end of his term.

District 29 – is Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles), who announced in November he will not seek re-election in 2024.

District 30 – is Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles) who is running for U.S. Senate.

District 31 – is Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Los Angeles) who announced her retirement in July.

District 47 – is Rep. Katie Porter (D-Orange) who is running for U.S. Senate.

State Senate

District 3 – is Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Contra Costa, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Yolo). There is some confusion about his eligibility on running for re-election. “The election division of the state’s Secretary of State Office is reporting Sen. Bill Dodd is eligible for two more years,” the Davis Enterprise reports. “He thinks the state is wrong. He said he is still eligible to serve two years in the Assembly, but he’s not running for that office, either.” Stay tuned.

District 5 – is Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Alameda, San Joaquin) who is termed out. Former Congressman Jerry McNerney (D) entered the 5th District State Senate race during the weekend, largely upending a race that had been dominated by Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton), the Globe reported Monday.

District 7 – is Sen. Steven Glazer (D-Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco) announced in August that he will not be running for Senate reelection next year as coming into the race is too close for comfort for the Senator with the current term limit law, the Globe reported.

District 23 – is Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Los Angeles, San Bernardino) will run for re-election but in a new District – 19.

District 25 – is Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Los Angeles, San Bernardino) is one of many running for Congress to replace Rep. Adam Schiff (District 30 – Los Angeles).

District 29 – is Sen. Josh Newman (D-San Bernardino) – as of October, he was running for re-election.

District 31 – is Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside, San Bernardino) is termed out and is running for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

District 35 – is Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Los Angeles) who will be termed out in 2024.

District 39 – is Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) who will be termed out in 2024. Atkins announced in November that she is currently looking into a gubernatorial run in 2026, the Globe reported.

State Assembly

District 1 – is Assemblywoman. Megan Dahle (R-Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou) announced last February 2023 that she will run for California State Senate District 1 in 2024.

District 2 – is Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Del Norte, Humbolt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity) announced in November he will not be seeking reelection in 2024; he has an elderly mother in declining health who “now requires an increasingly higher level of care and I want to be a meaningful part of that,” Mendocino Voice reported.

District 6 – is Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) is running for Sacramento Mayor.

District 13 – is Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua (D-San Joaquin) is running for Senate District 5 – where Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Alameda, San Joaquin) is termed out.

District 15 – is Assemblyman Timothy Grayson (D-Contra Costa), who announced last July he will run for Senate District 9 in 2024.

District 26 – is Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Santa Clara), who announced he will run for California’s 16th Congressional seat, following Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s (D-CA) announcement that her current term in Congress would be her last.

District 33 – is Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Fresno, Kings, Tulare) announced that this will be his last term after a decade in office.

District 36 – is Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino) will not seek reelection in 2024, his spokesperson confirmed Monday. No specifics behind the assemblyman’s decision were given.

District 43 – is Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-Los Angeles) who announced she is running for Congressional District 29, currently held by Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles), who announced in November he will not seek re-election in 2024.

District 44 – is Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Los Angeles) who announced she is running for Congressional District 30, currently held by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles) who is running for U.S. Senate in the 2024 election.

District 50 – is Assemblywoman Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) who in December 2022 announced she planned to run for the California State Senate’s 29th District in 2024 – currently held by Sen. Josh Newman (D-San Bernardino), who announced he was running for re-election.

District 52 – is Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), who is one of several challengers for the City Council seat of embattled Council incumbent Kevin de León, Politico reported in November.

District 54 – is Assemblyman Miguel Santiago D-Los Angeles), who also says he is running for Kevin de Leon’s Los Angeles City Council seat.

District 58 – is Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside, San Bernardino) announced in December 2022 she’s running for a state Senate seat in 2024 and her sister, Clarissa, announced that she will seek her sibling’s Assembly seat in that election.

District 79 – is Assemblywoman Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) announced in April her bid for the state Senate district now represented by Toni Atkins.

The Globe will follow up.