Rumors abounded yesterday that Sandra Fluke was inching towards running for Congress. Her spokesman said, however, that that wasn’t necessarily the case, and that she was seeking her party’s endorsement solely to keep her “options open,” lest she miss an important filing deadline. As it turns out, she’s decided to pass on that congressional race, and run instead for a seat in the California state senate.
From the LA Times:
Democratic attorney and activist Sandra Fluke has decided against running for retiring Rep. Henry A. Waxman’s congressional seat, instead planning a bid for the state Senate.
“I am extremely moved by the outpouring of local and national support I have received since I announced that I was considering running for office. My entire career has been devoted to the public interest, whether representing victims of human trafficking or advocating for working families,” Fluke said late Tuesday night. “I am committed to continuing that fight in Sacramento, working to protect our environment, ensure our access to health care, and create the jobs that are desperately needed. While I strongly considered offering my candidacy for Congress, I feel there is a better way for me to advance the causes that are important to our community.”
There was, after all, an opening:
Fluke said she plans to run for the state Senate seat currently held by Ted Lieu, who is running for Waxman’s congressional seat.
“I believe that the families and communities of this district -- from West Hollywood to West L.A. and from Santa Monica to Torrance and beyond -- deserve to have a fresh perspective from a new generation of progressive leadership in Sacramento, and I am eager to get to work fighting for the causes that matter most to our future as a community, state and nation," Fluke said.
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And remember, politics had nothing to do with her determination:
In an interview, Fluke said such political considerations played no part in her decision, which she said was solely based on a belief that she would be able to accomplish more in the Legislature than in Congress.
That’s probably true. Many current members are retiring solely because they can’t stand the gridlock in Washington. In California, however, Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the chief executive’s office. If she wins, then, this will give her an opportunity to vote on -- and pass -- some “progressive” initiatives she can later tout sometime down the road. That's surely a great way to build one's resume.
And hey, that’s exactly what the president did, and that seemed to work out pretty well for him, didn’t it?
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