EUREKA — North Coast Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro announced Friday he is seeking re-election to the State Assembly, First District.
Chesbro made the announcement during a brief ceremony this afternoon at the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee office amid dozens of supporters who signed petitions to place his name on the June primary election ballot for the Democratic nomination.
Chesbro, an Arcata resident, has represented the First District in the Assembly since 2008, after he won election to the seat with nearly 71 percent of the vote.
Chesbro previously served two terms in the State Senate, from 1998 to 2006. He has also served on the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
Chesbro represented District 3 on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1990 and before that served on the Arcata City Council.
The First Assembly District is one of the largest legislative districts in the state. It stretches from Bodega Bay to the Oregon border and includes all of Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake counties and western and northern Sonoma County.
Chesbro released the following statement upon announcing his intention to seek re-election:
“Two years ago, I ran for this office pledging to put the First Assembly District First and I have kept that promise. I have worked to build a bipartisan coalition to ensure the state”s budget is not balanced on the backs of rural California. Together we defeated the Governor”s proposal to cut funding to rural sheriffs by finding another funding source. And we did this in a way that protects the smallest rural counties. We fought off efforts to raid small counties” public road funds and made it easier for rural counties to manage emergencies.
“We also worked to preserve access to health care, specifically protecting critical access hospitals in rural areas.
“These bipartisan victories on behalf of rural California have been the most gratifying accomplishments during my first term in the Assembly. And I believe this is what the voters sent me to Sacramento to accomplish.
“But these are challenging times and there is still a lot of work yet to be done. That”s why I”m announcing to you today that I am running for re-election. I will move forward toward this next term with the same determination ? to keep the First District First.”
