Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, a Republican who represents north coastal San Diego County, announced Tuesday he is forming an exploratory committee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer.
“Our nation suffers from a lack of clear leadership when it comes to issues of national security and looking out for California families who have seen stagnant wage growth for almost two decades,” Chavez said.
“My story is like that of so many other California families, having worked in the grape fields with my uncle and cousins as a child to seeing one of my own children attend an Ivy League medical school. That’s the American dream, and it’s what every parent hopes to see for their own children.
“But if we don’t take steps to protect our nation and help create more opportunities for our children, we risk losing that dream.”
Chavez was first elected to the Assembly in 2012 and re-elected in November. He describes himself as “a fiscal conservative and social moderate.”
Chavez was an Oceanside councilman, acting secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, a role he pays tribute to in his committee’s website, ColonelRockyChavez.com.
“My strong history of leadership and compelling personal narrative give me great confidence,” Chavez said. “I believe we can start a movement that will make a real difference in the lives of California families.”
Attorney General Kamala Harris, a Democrat, announced her candidacy on Jan. 13, five days after Boxer said she would not seek re-election in 2016.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. Reps. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, and Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, have said they are considering running.
— City News Service
