It's official: Sacramento Councilwoman Lauren Hammond is running for the Assembly.
After thinking about a run for several weeks, Hammond announced her candidacy on Monday at the end of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march downtown. She is running in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, in 2010.
"There are a lot of things at that state level that have to be fixed," she said Tuesday at her City Hall office. "I'd like to use the skills I've developed at the city level and use them to help more people."
Hammond is the third-longest tenured member of the City Council and has represented neighborhoods in the central and southern parts of the city since 1997.
Because her council seat is up for re-election in 2010, she would have to give it up to compete for the Assembly post. She can't run for both seats.
Hammond said the budget crisis is a priority at the state level, just as it is in the city.
"We need a humane budget and people have to understand we all have to make sacrifices," she said.
The race for Jones' district seat is getting more crowded.
Hammond will be running against Sacramento City Council colleague Kevin McCarty, who announced his candidacy in December.
Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said last month that he is considering a run.
Jones will be termed out in 2010. He announced in November that he will run for state insurance commissioner.
Hammond ran for the same Assembly seat in 2004, losing to Jones.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.
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