O’Connell Opts Not to Run for Congress

State Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-Santa Barbara) said he won’t run for the congressional seat left vacant by the death two weeks ago of Santa Barbara Democrat Walter Capps.

Instead, O’Connell--whose 18th Senatorial District includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and a portion of western Ventura County--said he will focus on his 1998 reelection bid.

“Obviously, this was not an easy decision to make,” O’Connell said in a written statement Wednesday. “And many compelling reasons were brought to bear on both sides.”

Ultimately, O’Connell said, he could not in good conscience take time away from his wife and young daughter to serve the residents of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties in Washington.

Capps died of a heart attack as he flew back to the capital from a weekend in his district.

O’Connell said the best person to carry on Capps’ “rich legacy” is the late congressman’s wife, Lois.

“I hope Lois Capps runs for Congress, because I know she can win,” O’Connell said. “More important than that, however, I believe she would be a fantastic member of Congress in her own right.”

Capps narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Andrea Seastrand last year, in one of the nation’s most closely watched races.