Democratic women's rights activist Sandra Fluke has decided not to enter the race for retiring Rep. Henry Waxman's California congressional seat but will run instead for the state Senate.
She said she hopes to win the 26th district seat held by Ted Lieu, who is running for Waxman's seat, reports
Politico.
"I am extremely moved by the outpouring of local and national support I have received since I announced that I was considering running for office," Fluke said in a statement. "While I strongly considered offering my candidacy for Congress, I feel there is a better way to advance the causes that are important to our community."
The 26th district includes West Hollywood, West Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
"I believe that the families and communities of this district…deserve to have a fresh perspective from a new generation of progressive leadership in Sacramento, and I am eager to get to work fighting for the causes that matter most to our future as a community, state and nation," Fluke added.
Fluke rose to national prominence in 2012, when the then-law student testified in Congress in support of Obamacare's contraception mandate and Rush Limbaugh called her a "slut" on his radio show.
After graduating from law school, Fluke moved to Los Angeles, passed the bar exam, and has reportedly been active in Democratic circles and working on issues related to the foster-care system and wages.
The other Democrat making a bid for Waxman's seat is former city controller Wendy Greuel, and political strategists had suggested she and Fluke would vie for the same set of voters, reports the
Los Angeles Times.
But Fluke told the newspaper that political considerations did not play a role in her decision and that she felt she could do more in the Legislature than in Congress.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.