Wasting little time after Rep. Lois Capps's announcement this morning that she would not seek reelection next year, Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider said this afternoon that she will run for California’s 24th Congressional district seat.
After praising Capps as "one of California’s most widely respected leaders" and stressing her admiration for Capps's "tenacity, drive and philosophy of always focusing on and putting the needs of the people of the 24th district first," Schneider said she is running for Congress "to get things done in Washington."
"We need more common sense and fewer political stalemates," Schneider said in a prepared statement. "During my tenure as Mayor of the City of Santa Barbara, I have focused on working with a politically diverse City Council to find common ground on policies affecting our entire community, while steadfastly defending my core values of economic opportunity, environmental protection and prudent financial stewardship.