Janice Hahn announces run for LA County Board of Supervisors

Published Feb 18, 2015 8:44 AM

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 01: Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn speaks during news conference for the naming rights of the new downtown Los Angeles football stadium and event center named Farmers Field at Los Angeles Convention Center on February 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Hahn announced Febbruary 7, 2011 that she plans to run for U.S. House seat of outgoing Representative Jane Harman, who will resign to head the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan institution for advanced study. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Janice Hahn

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Los Angeles) announced Wednesday that she will seek an open seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, according to several media reports.

The former L.A. city councilwoman's Facebook page was updated Wednesday morning with a campaign banner for supervisor.

Post by Janice Hahn.
Here's part of Hahn's statement as published by Roll Call:

"My father, beloved County Supervisor Kenny Hahn, always stressed to me the importance of being a champion for the people. He instilled in me the values of courage, integrity, and public service — and most importantly the simple principle of always putting constituents and local neighborhoods first. With that philosophy in mind, I have decided not to run for re-election to Congress and instead enter the race for Los Angeles County Supervisor District 4."

Hahn, a former L.A. city councilwoman, was elected in 2011 and said she plans to finish her term before vacating her seat in Congress,

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

Politico reports.

"The problem is, Washington is broken, it’s increasingly mired in political gridlock, and there’s virtually zero cooperation between the two parties. That’s not the kind of government I grew up with, and it’s precisely why I know I can do more for the Los Angeles region on the Board of Supervisors," Hahn said in a statement, according to Politico.

Hahn would run to replace termed-out Supervisor Don Knabe, according to the Los Angeles Times.

If elected, she wouldn't be the first of her name to help lead the county — her father, Kenneth Hahn, served as a supervisor for four decades, as the Times reports:

"My father developed a long history of delivering results for the folks he represented," Hahn, a San Pedro Democrat, said in a statement. "This is a legacy I have fought hard to continue throughout my career."

The county's 4th District includes the South Bay beach cities, Marina del Rey, Artesia, Long Beach, Torrance, San Pedro and Norwalk, among other communities. Although the county board is officially nonpartisan, the district has long been represented by moderate Republicans, including Knabe, who has held the seat since late 1996.

The Congressional district she would leave open, however, has been safely Democratic, and at least one candidate has already announced he would run to replace her, according to Roll Call:

State Sen. Isadore Hall said he will run for Hahn’s seat. He’s already secured endorsements from Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., as well as Compton Mayor Aja Brown.

...

Other potential candidates include Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, South Gate City Councilmember Maria Davila and South Gate City Clerk Carmen Avalos.