R

ep. Grace Napolitano, a veteran California legislator and the senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives, is expected to announce plans to retire on Saturday, according to multiple sources.

Although Napolitano and her spokesperson

did not respond to multiple requests for comment, a state legislator planning to run for her congressional seat said the Norwalk Democrat, who has been a fixture in state, local and national politics for nearly four decades, will next year would not seek a new term.

“Her dedicated service to the community over the years has been invaluable,” said Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera). “What a remarkable legacy. And I got the encouragement from her to go on and run.’

A member of the California congressional delegation, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about a colleague, also confirmed Napolitano’s plans.

The 86-year-old congressman is expected to make the announcement Saturday morning at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Grace F. Napolitano Wildlife Education Center in La Puente. Napolitano’s decision comes five months after 90-year-old California Senator Dianne Feinstein announced she would not seek another term because friends and foes doubted her fitness for office.

Democrats had been speculating about Napolitano’s plans for some time because of her age and lackluster fundraising for the 2024 election. She reported raising less than $21,000 in the first three months of this year, according to the Federal Election Commission. Her retirement is expected to spark an intense partisan battle to represent her congressional seat in the San Gabriel Valley.

A native of Texas, Napolitano was elected to the Norwalk City Council in 1986, the State Assembly in 1992, and Congress in 1998. She worked at Ford Motor Co. for more than two decades. Trade, immigration, transportation and the environment are among the topics she focused on during her tenure.

She currently represents the 31st Latino-majority congressional district, which is entirely in Los Angeles County and includes Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, Duarte, Irwindale, La Verne, and San Dimas, as well as parts of Glendora, Industry, and Monrovia.

As of February 10, Democrats had a 27% lead over Republicans in the district’s voter registration, according to the California Secretary of States Office. Democrats accounted for 48.6% of voters in the districts, while those who did not express a political affiliation accounted for 23.3%. Nearly 21.5% identified as members of the GOP.

The district’s partisan tilt is one reason Democrats predicted it would be a blockbuster race once Napolitano decided to retire. It is a rare open seat that offers ambitious legislative and local elected officials a higher position, even though it does not affect control of a

scary

divided congress.

“

These seats don’t come up that often and so don’t open that often, so you would expect a pretty big field if you get the chance and there are no term limits in Congress,” said Dan Rottenstreich, a San Diego-based Democratic adviser.

Rottenstreich said that, with the 2024 primary less than a year away, candidates with an established base of political support and proven ability to raise money will have a major advantage. Both will be essential to win in the Los Angeles area, one of the most expensive media markets in the country.

Three Democrats have already opened campaign accounts: Archuleta, Citrus Community College Trustee Mary Ann Lutz, and Baldwin Park Planning Commissioner Ricardo

Vázques

said the Federal Election Commission.

We live in challenging times. We need serious, experienced leaders who can deliver for the San Gabriel Valley and for our nation,” Lutz said in a statement last month announcing her run. “I know how to lead through tough times and get positive results. And that’s exactly what I will do for the voters of this district as their next congressman.”

Vazques said he decided to run because he had personal experience of poverty, homelessness, the foster care system and other issues facing many in the district.

“I understand the many challenges facing communities in this district,” he said

Archuleta, a former mayor of Pico Rivera and a more moderate member of the legislature’s Democratic caucus, is the most famous of the three candidates who have already applied to replace Napolitano. Archuleta is an army veteran and former paratrooper, according to his official legislative biography, and has spent much of his time at the state building addressing military and veteran issues, as well as promoting hydrogen energy technology.

Archuleta was elected in 2018 to replace a state legislator who resigned over allegations of inappropriate behavior during the #MeToo movement in the legislature. In 2021, Archuleta faced its own scandal after a former staffer filed an unsolved lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. Archuleta has denied the allegations.

Archuleta said he is waiting for Napolitano to publicly announce his retirement from Congress and formally support him before moving on to the next phase of his campaign.

Another potential candidate is Democratic Senator Susan Rubio of Baldwin Park, another moderate Democrat and former public school teacher who spent more than a decade in local politics before being elected to the legislature in 2018. During her time in Sacramento, Rubio authored a number of bills for affordable housing and education, including a failed proposal last year to make California kindergarten mandatory.

But the bulk of Rubio’s legislative accomplishments include strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence, efforts that stem from her own allegations of abuse while serving as a Baldwin Park City councilman against her then-husband and former councilman Roger Hernandez.

Gil Cisneros, a former congressman and Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the Biden administration, has also received calls urging him to run for the seat, according to an adviser close to him.