Calif. liberal Barbara Boxer to retire from Senate
WASHINGTON — Sen. Barbara Boxer, one of the Democratic Party’s staunchest liberals, announced Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2016.
The senator, first elected in 1992 in what was known as the Year of the Woman in politics, is currently in her fourth term. She previously served 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I am never going to retire. The work is too important, but I will not be running for the Senate in 2016,” Boxer said in a video done like a TV interview with her grandson, Zach Rodham. “I want to come home to the state that I love so much.”
Boxer’s announcement is the equivalent of a political earthquake in California, a Democratic stronghold. Several prominent Democrats — such as Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Kamala Harris and environmentalist Tom Steyer — could become candidates in what would be one of the nation’s most expensive and closely watched Senate races next cycle.
Boxer said neither the partisan rancor in the Senate nor her age (she’s 74) were factors in her decision.
“Some people are old at 40 and some people are young at 80,” she said in the video. “I feel as young as I did when I got elected.”
Boxer is known for her passionate support of women’s rights and the environment. As a House member, she led a group of female lawmakers in a march to the Senate to demand hearings into law professor Anita Hill’s allegations of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas, who was eventually confirmed to the Supreme Court.
After Republicans won the Senate majority in the 2014 midterm elections, Boxer relinquished the gavel of the Environment and Public Works Committee. She fought regularly with Republicans over EPA proposals to reduce air pollution caused by carbon emissions, but has worked with her opponents on the committee to overhaul chemical safety laws.
Boxer said she will continue to work on the issues she cares about through her political action committee.
While there is likely to be a fight for her Senate seat, it is unclear if a viable Republican candidate will emerge who can run a competitive statewide campaign. Two of the state’s most prominent GOP officeholders — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Darrell Issa — play key roles in Congress.