Calif. Dem leaving Congress to run for LA County board

Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Calif.) announced that she’ll leave Congress to run for an open position on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

{mosads}”The problem is, Washington is broken. It’s increasingly mired in political gridlock, and there’s virtually zero cooperation between the two parties,” Hahn said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “That’s not the kind of government I grew up with. … I can do more for the Los Angeles region on the Board of Supervisors.”

Hahn was also quick to endorse California state Sen. Isadore Hall (D) for the seat, shortly after Hall said on Wednesday that he’d run.

The decision returns Hahn to Los Angeles politics, where she began her career and where her family has long been a force. Her father was a longtime member of the board, and her brother is a former mayor of the city.

Unlike in most states, a return to local politics isn’t a step down for Californians, especially those in Los Angeles — if Hahn wins her seat, she’ll represent more people and will likely have more power than as a member of the minority party in the House.

The decision makes Hahn the latest California Democratic member to opt to return to local politics rather than stay in Congress — one-term Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Calif.) did the same thing two years ago, but lost her bid for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. 

— This post was updated at 10:55 a.m.