This story was reported for San Diego News Network on July 29, 2009.
State Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego) announced on Wednesday that she will run for County Supervisor Ron Roberts’ seat.
She made the announcement at an event put on by Run Women Run, an organization that supports pro-choice women who run for politics.
“I’ve been giving it some thought for quite some time,” Saldana said. “I decided there would be no better place to make the announcement than in a room full of women.”
Saldana, who has been an assemblymember since 2004, said she didn’t see this as a step down from her current position representing the 76th district in the State Assembly.
“I’m representing 450,000 constituents right now,” Saldana said. “If I were to gain this position (District 4), I would be representing 600,000 constituents.”
She also noted that her legislative experience would be an advantage that no prior county supervisor has taken to the local office.
The seat has long been Republican on a board that has also been Republican for years. She said she isn’t distressed about the idea, as it is a non-partisan race and the number of independent voters is rising.
Roberts is currently serving his fourth term in office. He previously ran for the mayoral position to no avail.
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.