Laura Burton Capps will not seek mother’s House seat
Laura Burton Capps, who had been expected to run for her mother’s Santa Barbara-based House seat, announced Monday that she would not be running for Congress.
“It would be the ultimate honor for me to represent this incredible district in Congress,” she said in a written statement released by her husband, political consultant Bill Burton. “After giving a campaign serious consideration, however, I’ve decided that now is not the right time for me, Bill and our 4-year-old-son.”
Lois Capps, 77, announced this month that she was retiring at the end of her term next year. Capps, a Democrat, was elected to Congress in a 1998 special election to replace her husband, Walter, after his death. Laura Burton Capps, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton who also served as an aide to Sens. John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy, purchased a house in Santa Barbara two years ago, leading many political observers to believe she would run to replace her mother.
Announced candidates include Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, a Democrat; Justin Fareed, a Republican who ran for the seat previously; and GOP Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian.
Twitter: @noahbierman
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