Assemblymember Kevin Mullin said Tuesday he will run to fill the seat Rep. Jackie Speier will vacate when she retires next year, becoming at least the third elected official to join what is shaping up to be a crowded fight for the rare chance to represent the Peninsula in Washington, D.C.
“I want to represent you in Congress to fight for the future of our democracy and our planet,” the 51-year-old Democrat said in a video announcing his campaign.
Mullin, a five-term Assembly member who currently serves as Speaker pro Tempore, is the highest-profile politician to join the race. But the South San Francisco resident enters a field that, just a week after Speier said she would not seek re-election, already includes San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa and Burlingame City Councilmember Emily Beach, both registered Democrats. Gus Mattammal, a small businessman and Republican who lives on the coast near Half Moon Bay, has also launched a campaign.
In his announcement, Mullin — who used to work for Rep. Speier and is the son of the late Assembly member Gene Mullin — said he wants to address climate change and astronomical housing costs if elected. As a state lawmaker, Mullin, who was elected to the State Assembly in 2012, pushed for mail voting in San Mateo County well before the pandemic made it the norm statewide, and he spearheaded legislation to make campaign finances more transparent. He is married to Jessica Stanfill Mullin, a longtime San Mateo County employee, and the pair have two young sons, twins Liam and Landon.
Although in its early days, the race is already well under way. Mullin, who in college worked as a DJ under the name Cutmaster Kevvy Kev, has already secured the endorsement of more than 30 officials, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Treasurer Fiona Ma, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. He’s also backed by several of Canepa’s colleagues on the board of supervisors, including Dave Pine, Carole Groom and Warren Slocum.
Canepa, who raised more than $100,000 within 24 hours of announcing his candidacy, also has been endorsed by a number of local officials, including the mayor of Burlingame. The Daly City resident, who helped keep struggling Seton Medical Center from shuttering, has said he wants the region’s values, like a firm belief in science, to “be an example for folks in D.C.”
Beach, who served in the Army and heads up the San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s board of directors, has not yet formally announced, but has said she will launch her campaign next week.
Political analysts have also said other people, including possibly state Sen. Josh Becker, Redwood City Councilmember Giselle Hale and former Redwood City Councilmember Shelly Masur, are likely to consider trying for the rare vacancy. The top two finishers in the June primary will face each other in November, regardless of their party.
Becker said Tuesday he is considering running, but also still loves his state Senate job.
“I am taking my time,” he said.
Speier’s retirement announcement set off a flurry of speculation about whether other longtime Bay Area representatives might also call it quits, especially with Republicans appearing likely to retake the House next year.
But this news organization checked in with local representatives and found that almost all say they plan to seek re-election.
Reps. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) and Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) all now say they plan to run again next year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment about her intentions. Several years ago, she struck a deal with other Democrats pushing for fresh leadership to step aside as speaker in 2022.
Sen. Alex Padilla, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve out Kamala Harris’s term when she became vice president, plans to seek a full term in next November’s election. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office said the 88-year-old has “made no announcement” about her plans on whether to run again when her seat is up for grabs in 2024.
In the race to replace Speier, Mullin is likely to be viewed as one of the leading candidates regardless of who else joins the race.
But Larry Gerston, a political science professor emeritus at San Jose State University, said Tuesday someone like Becker could become a real challenger.
Mullin is “the frontrunner right now,” Gerston said, adding that he thinks “there’s a possibility he could get Speier’s endorsement.”
But, he continued, “I wouldn’t underestimate Josh Becker…Clearly this has the makings of being a really good race. Congressional seats are precious.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com