Longtime Democrat Won’t Seek Re-Election

“We have helped thousands of constituents navigate the federal government, returned millions in earned benefits, and never lost sight of the simple truth that public service is about showing up for people when they need help the most,” the Democrat added.

“With another year remaining in my term, I will continue working every day to deliver results for our region, advance legislation that improves the lives and livelihoods of people in my district and across our country, and stand up for the values and priorities my constituents sent me here to defend,” Brownley declared.

“Despite the immense challenges we are currently facing, I remain deeply optimistic about the future of our country,” she said.

“The American experiment has endured not because it is perfect, but because generations of Americans continue to believe in it and work to make it more just, more equal, and more reflective of those it serves,” she said.

“I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have played a part in that work, and I know we will learn from this moment in time how to shore up our democracy to make it even stronger for the generations that will follow,” Brownley wrote.

Brownley added, “I am particularly pleased that I will leave the House with Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker. I am confident that he will lead Congress with integrity, with purpose, with resolve, and with a clear vision for the future. While I will not be in Congress, I will remain in the fight, fighting for a better and brighter future.”

Brownley did not give a reason for her decision, but the Democrat said in a statement she was “confident” that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would be an excellent speaker of the House if Democrats win back the chamber.

California Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin told reporters, “I am the most obvious person to run for that seat” as she walked off the Assembly floor after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State speech, saying she was exploring a bid for Brownley’s now-open seat.