Congresswoman Anna Eshoo Announces She Won’t Run In 2024

Silicon Valley-area Congresswoman Anna Eshoo announced on Tuesday that she will not be running for reelection in 2024, leaving her 16th district for an open election next year for the first time since 1992.

Eshoo began her political career in the late 1970s, Chairing the San Mateo Democratic Party from 1978 to 1982 whilst also being the Chief of Staff for then Assembly Speaker Leo McCarthy. This was followed up by her first election win in 1982, becoming a San Mateo County Supervisor and holding that position for the next decade. In 1988 she ran for Congress for the first time, but lost a close election to Republican Tom Campbell 51%-46%.

Four years later in 1992, Eshoo managed to finally win the House seat in her district, and has held onto it ever since. As a Congresswoman covering tech heavy Silicon Valley, Eshoo has been one of the top members of Congress covering tech-related bills, including being the main force behind several anti-spam laws. Other main areas of focus have included bills over women’s health, climate change, gay rights, and immigration. A close ally of neighboring district Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Eshoo made national headlines in 2014 when, during an inter-party conflict between then-Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD), she was denied becoming the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in favor of Hoyer’s pick.

In recent years, Eshoo has had trouble holding onto her vastly Democratic-majority district. Following decades of winning House elections with 60% or more of the voter, Eshoo only won by 57% last year to a fellow Democrat. With early indications that 2024 will be even closer and Eshoo turning 80 this year, many political insiders began speculating that Eshoo may opt to not run for Congress again this year. Those predictions proved to be accurate on Tuesday, with Eshoo finally announcing her retirement following over 30 years in the House.

“Most people don’t think we spend any kind of time thinking about whether we’re going to run again or not,” said Eshoo before her official announcement on Tuesday. “It’s highly private, I was prepared to seek reelection. I was fully engaged and ready to go. And then I had this little voice inside of me that was pulling me another way. It was last week very late at night that I decided it’s time. I said to myself, ‘It’s time, Anna.'”

In a video retirement message posted later on Tuesday, Eshoo added that “I’m choosing this beautiful season of Thanksgiving to announce that I will not seek reelection and I do so with a heart filled with unending gratitude to you, my magnificent constituents. For three decades, you’ve given me your trust, and I’ve given every fiber of my being to live up to the sacred trust in every way possible.

“I’m very proud of the body of bipartisan work I’ve been able to achieve on your behalf in the Congress. As my last year in Congress approaches, I will continue my work with vigor and unswerving commitment to you. I want you to know you’ve made me a better person. You have deepened my love of democracy. You have demonstrated the goodness and the decency of the American people over and over again, reinforcing my belief that we are all God’s children. So, on this Thanksgiving, I will bow my head and say thank you for choosing me for the high privilege of representing you.”

Eshoo becomes latest California Democrat in the House to announce not running in 2024

Eshoo’s announcement made her the sixth House Democrat from California this year to announce that they wouldn’t be running in 2024. In January, Congresswomen Katie Porter (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), as well as Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) all opted out of reelection in 2024 to run for the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) then announced her intention to retire several months later, followed by Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) giving his announcement on Monday.

Political experts noted that while Democrats will almost certainly keep hold of the 16th district next year, the growing number of veteran Democratic House members leaving office or retiring next year will lead to both a large number of less-experienced House-members taking office, as well as more possible lost House seats to Republicans in swing districts because of the loss of the Democratic incumbent.

“We were expecting more to give these kinds of announcements in the next few months before election season gets started in earnest, but not so soon after Cardenas announced,” said Brie Logan, a political campaign consultant to the Globe on Wednesday. “Most going out are in safe blue seats with a prominent Assemblymember or someone else already being lined up. But then you have districts like the 47th District in Orange County where Porter barely won last year and this coming year a long-time Republican is facing a Democrat who got a DUI while doing political events in Sacramento. This is also opening up districts to local infighting, as some districts have a few top area Democrats wanting the spot and things like party or outgoing seat-holder endorsements being treated as acts of war if one person doesn’t get it over the other.

“These are going to be some tricky elections coming up for Democrats. And that number is going to increase as there are signs that even more House Democrats from California will also announce that they won’t run in 2024 soon.”

More Congressional retirement announcements are expected in the coming months.