Sen. Barbara Boxer announced her retirement from the U.S. Senate on Thursday, setting off what is sure to be a wild primary for 2016.
But will the madness trickle down to City Hall?
Boxer’s announcement means the first open U.S. Senate seat in California since 1992, when both Feinstein and Boxer were elected during what was called the Year of the Woman. Her retirement also begins a generational shift at the top of state politics Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 81, is the nation’s oldest serving Senator and Gov. Jerry Brown is the nation’s oldest governor.
So who’s next? Attorney General Kamala Harris and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom are certainly contenders. But so is former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. All three have indicated they would be interested in the governor’s job in 2018, but Boxer’s decision will test their political desires.
It also means decision time for Eric Garcetti, the current Los Angeles Mayor and an ambitious rising star in the party that has many. Garcetti could have a free run at the job, since he’s not up for reelection until 2017. But it might be tough for him to raise funds for both campaigns.
Another mayor, Sacramento’s Kevin Johnson, is also an intriguing possibility. Johnson is something of a polarizing figure in Democratic circles. His wife, Michelle Rhee, is the former head of StudentsFirst, an education reform group that has attracted the ire of the powerful teachers unions. But it’s worth noting that the new primary rules create an opening for Johnson.
Thanks to new state primary rules, the top two vote-getters regardless of party advance to a November run-off. Johnson, with his ability to appeal to independents and moderates, could forge a path to victory given the state’s new election rules.
On the Republican side, Mayors Ashley Swearengin and Kevin Faulconer are among the potential candidates for Boxer’s seat.
For now, it’s all conjecture as the jockeying begins in earnest. But one thing is clear: Barbara Boxer’s retirement is being watched closely in city halls around the state.