Democratic House Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA) will not run for reelection in 2024, his office confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Monday
Cárdenas, 60, told the Times that he will leave Washington, D.C. at the end of his term. He said this will be “the first time in 28 years that I’m not on the ballot.”
“The truth of the matter is I thought I could do this just for a few years ... I’m just at the age where I have enough energy and experience to maybe do something [different] and have another chapter of a career where I don’t have to go to Washington, D.C., 32 weeks out of the year,” he said.
Tony Cárdenas won't seek reelection in 2024, setting up race for San Fernando Valley seat https://t.co/taO3NuerUy
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 20, 2023
Reportedly, Cárdenas’ congressional district, which spans much of the San Fernando Valley, is “solidly blue.” He has put his support behind Luz Rivas, a California state Assemblymember who told the publication that she would run to replace him.
“Luz is a genuine public servant who has dedicated herself to delivering opportunities for the Valley,” Cárdenas told the Times. “She gets things done, and has always put working families first. I am proud to support Luz for Congress.”
Cárdenas was elected to the California Assembly in 1996. In 2013, he reportedly became the first Latino to represent the San Fernando Valley in Congress.
In recent months, Townhall has covered how other House Democrats have announced that they will not seek reelection. Virginia Democrat Rep. Jennifer Wexton, 55, will not run for reelection in 2024 as she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy. Another Virginia congresswoman, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, announced she would not seek reelection to run for governor.