Sacramento Councilwoman Ashby announces run for state Senate, gets Pan’s endorsement
Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby formally announced she’s running for the state Senate Wednesday, scoring a big endorsement from the seat’s incumbent, Democratic Sen. Richard Pan.
The longtime councilwoman told The Sacramento Bee in July she planned to run for the seat, but had not yet formally announced.
“Many times, I have been referred to as ‘that Mom from Natomas,’ a title intended to strip me of more coveted accomplishments, like lawyer, business owner, community organizer.... but it has always made me smile with pride, because Mom is my favorite title,” Ashby, a Democrat, said in a news release. “Now more than ever California needs people with a diverse background to lead. This is a new day. It’s time. California is the place where people dream big, strike gold, invent what was once impossible, and make history one courageous fight at a time.”
Former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is also running for the seat. Other candidates include City Councilman Eric Guerra and south Sacramento Pastor Tecoy Porter. Unlike Guerra, Ashby would have to give up her City Council seat to run for the seat. She’s up for reelection to the City Council in 2022. Guerra, who was just reelected to his seat covering southeastern Sacramento, is not up for reelection until 2024.
Ashby is married with three children, but was once a single mother living in public housing.
“Having been a single mother, Angelique Ashby understands the struggles families face in our neighborhoods,” Pan said in a statement. “She will be a progressive problem solver who puts working families first in the state Senate. Angelique has worked to build stronger communities throughout her life, and she has been an tremendous partner for me to create a healthier, safer neighborhoods.”
Ashby has held the seat representing North Natomas since 2010, making her the longest-standing member of the council. Some adoringly call her the “mayor of Natomas.” In 2019, she scored city and school district funding for an Olympic-sized pool and aquatic center — a major amenity for North Natomas and the region. The year before, she was a leader in a deal that brought Fortune 500 health care insurer Centene to North Natomas, where it will employ thousands of workers.
Amid national protests against police brutality, Ashby has taken criticism for her close relationship with Sacramento police. She has received nearly $70,000 from law enforcement unions since her first election in 2010. Ashby ran unsuccessfully for Sacramento mayor in 2016.
If Ashby is elected, she will be the first woman to hold the seat in two decades, since Sen. Deborah Ortiz was elected in 1998 and reelected in 2002, the release said.
The primary race for the seat, representing Sacramento, West Sacramento and Elk Grove in the Senate, will be held in 2022, when Pan will be termed out.
This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 10:10 AM.
