California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris is expected to announce Tuesday that she will be seeking retiring Senator Barbara Boxer’s seat in 2016. The anticipated news comes on the heels of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s Monday Facebook announcement that he would not be competing for Boxer’s seat.
If she announces on Tuesday, Harris will be the first candidate to declare her intention to run. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa voiced his interest in running on Saturday, but has yet to declare his candidacy. According to the Los Angeles Times, Newsom had left a voicemail for Harris the evening before he made his announcement that he would not be running for Boxer’s seat.
The two reportedly did not have an agreement; however, it is likely Newsom will throw his support behind Harris if she solidifies her intention to run. “I’m a huge fan and supporter of hers, and so maybe you can read between the lines,” Newsom said notes the Times notes. “But she has to process exactly what I went through: Is it really what you want, and is it the right time, and do you have something to offer, and is there a clarity to that contribution. If you can answer those questions, then go for it.”
Harris campaigned for President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012. She is best known nationwide for an incident in which the president praised her physical appearance, for which he later apologized.
A list of other potential contenders for Boxer’s seat can be seen here.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter: @AdelleNaz.
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