One Term Assemblymembers since 1991

Assemblywoman Linda Halderman announced today that she would not seek a second term this November. The announcement, coming less than five hours before the filing deadline for the seat threw the race into confusion. According to the Secretary of State’s website, Halderman was the only candidate who had filed to run in the 23rd Assembly district, leading to an easy reelection.

Taking a look at the history books, there have been forty-four legislators who served a term or less in the Assembly in the “term-limits era” of 1991 to today. Half of the 44 had been legislators prior to term limits and the single term each served after 1991 was just the end of a longer career.

For the story of the other twenty-two;

Elected in 1990
Xavier Becerra – Skipped a second term in the Assembly to run for Congress. First elected Congress in 1992.
Tom Mays – Ran for a second term in 1992 and lost in the Primary.

Elected in 1992
Hilda  Solis – Skipped a second term in the Assembly to run for State Senate. Elected to the Senate in 1994. Elected to Congress in 2000.  U.S. Secretary of Labor (2009-Present)
Julie Bornstein  -Ran for a second term in 1994 and lost in the General Election.
Vivien Bronshvag  – Ran for a second term in 1994 and lost in the Primary.
Tom Connolly  – Ran for a second term in 1994 and lost in the General Election. Connolly is now listed on the Megan’s Law website after being convicted of two felonies involving a minor in 1997.
Margaret  Snyder  – Ran for a second term in 1994 and lost in the General Election. Worth noting is that Snyder was the author of the resolution that imposed the first ‘bill limits’ on the Assembly.
Kathleen Honeycutt  – Declined to seek another term citing health reasons.

Elected in 1994
Brian  Setencich – Served as Speaker in 1995-1996 with the support of Democrats. Ran for a second term in 1996 and lost in the Primary. Ran in the General Election as a write-in candidate and lost. Convicted of tax evasion in 2000 and was sentenced to seven months in a halfway house.
Phil Hawkins  – Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 1996. Lost. Ran for Assembly again in 1998. Lost.

Elected in 1996
Deborah Ortiz  – Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 1998. Won.
Robert Prenter  – Ran for a second term in 1998 and lost in the General Election.

Elected in 1999
Audie Bock   – Elected as a Green in a Special Election. Ran for a second term in 2000 as an Independent and lost in the General Election. Was a recall candidate for Governor in 2003.

Elected in 2000
Dennis Hollingsworth –  Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 2002. Won. Served as Senate Minority Leader in 2009-2010.

Elected in 2002
Bob Dutton – Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 2004. Won. Served as Senate Minority Leader in 2010-2012. Had announced that he would run for Assembly again in 2012, but has since decided to run for Congress.
Steve Samuelian  – Declined to run again after some embarassing issues.

Elected in 2004
Mike Gordon  – Died in office.
Joe Baca Jr.  – Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 2006. Lost. Running for Assembly again this year.

Elected in 2006
Mark DeSaulnier  – Left the Assembly to run for State Senate in 2004. Won.
Richard Alarcon  – First elected to the Senate in 1998, Alarcon termed out after two full terms in 2006. He was elected to the Assembly in 2006 and served 102 days before resigning after being elected to the LA City Council. Now termed out of the City Council, Alarcon is running for the Assembly again this year.
Laura Richardson  – Resigned from the Assembly after 261 days, having been elected to Congress in a Special Election.

Elected in 2008
Danny D. Gilmore  – Declined to seek another term after a ‘frustrating’ year in the Assembly. Gilmore (a Republican) had been elected from a district that previously elected Democrats, earning him the wrath of Speaker Karen Bass.

Elected in 2010 (still serving)
Linda Halderman – Declined to seek another term, noting “This is my home… I just need to go back”.
David Valadao – Leaving the Assembly to run for Congress in 2012.