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Attorney General Kamala Harris announces bid for US Senate
California Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks onstage at the 2014 Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime at Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons in this file photo from October 10, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Harris plans to announce a run to replace outgoing U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, according to several media outlets.
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Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Variety
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California Attorney General Kamala Harris is entering the race to replace Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate.
"California has been incredibly well served by the transformational leadership of Senator Boxer and the continued service of Senator [Dianne] Feinstein. With your help, I hope to build on their legacies in the U.S. Senate," Harris wrote in a statement posted to her website Tuesday morning.
According to the Associated Press, the move would make Harris the first major Democrat seeking the open U.S. Senate seat in California.
California Lt. Gov. and former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on Monday said that he won't campaign for the seat.
Here's more from AP:
The 50-year-old Harris is a personal friend of President Barack Obama and attracted national attention when she helped negotiate a settlement with major mortgage lenders and secured extra funding for California. She has been widely viewed as an eventual candidate for governor or U.S. senator.
From my first days as a prosecutor in Alameda County, to my work as San Francisco District Attorney to my current service as California Attorney General, I have worked to bring smart, innovative and effective approaches to fighting crime, fighting for consumers and fighting for equal rights for all.
I want to be a voice for Californians on these issues and others that impact our state in the U.S. Senate. I will be a fighter for the next generation on the critical issues facing our country. I will be a fighter for middle class families who are feeling the pinch of stagnant wages and diminishing opportunity. I will be a fighter for our children who deserve a world-class education, and for students burdened by predatory lenders and skyrocketing tuition. And I will fight relentlessly to protect our coast, our immigrant communities and our seniors.
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Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said he is seriously considering a bid.
Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer and several members of Congress are also considering campaigns, and on the Republican side, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez and two former state GOP chairmen are weighing runs, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This story has been updated.
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