Veteran Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., on Wednesday announced her retirement from Congress at the end of 2016, signaling the end of an unexpected political career and opening up a potentially competitive race along California’s Central Coast.
In a video announcement, the 77-year-old Capps said she believes “it is time” for her to return to her Santa Barbara home. The former nurse and stalwart liberal said she will serve out the remainder of her term.
“It’s been a hard decision to make, for I have loved this job,” Capps said. “But life moves on.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a close ally, lauded Capps as “a fierce advocate for hardworking American families” and a “steadfast champion for protecting public lands.” Pelosi’s praise underscored Capps’ overall position on the political spectrum, also seen in her 100 percent vote ratings from Planned Parenthood and Clean Water Action and a 0 percent rating from the National Retail Federation.
A member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Capps has been a leading skeptic of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, an opponent of offshore oil-and-gas drilling and an advocate for funding to aid schools including Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“She is one of the finest and most beloved members of Congress, and the people of the Central Coast have been lucky to have her as their representative,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
So far this Congress, Capps has introduced seven bills, dealing with topics ranging from climate change and ocean acidification to benefits for firefighters.
“There is a lot of work to do,” Capps said Wednesday.
Capps first came to Capitol Hill in 1997 as a spouse, following her husband Walter, a former university professor who had just been elected to the House. When he died from a heart attack after nine months in office, she was elected to replace him in a special election.
While known for her civility, which has earned her accolades in magazine polls as the “nicest” member of Congress, Capps has also fended off repeated challenges from energetic Republican contenders who might now feel emboldened once more. In 2012, former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado spent $1.9 million on a campaign and lost by 55-45 percent.
Last year, Capps outspent Republican actor Christopher Mitchum 5-1 but was held to a closer 52 to 48 percent victory. In a highly unusual move that reflected the tenor of the race, Mitchum in February filed a defamation suit complaining about a negative aid aired by the Capps’ campaign.
Democrats now hold only a slim 37 to 34 percent voter registration advantage over Republicans in the 24th Congressional District, redrawn after the 2010 census to encompass Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties as well as a tiny sliver of Ventura County.
“The 24th District has been competitive for multiple cycles and instantly becomes a more likely pickup opportunity for Republicans in 2016,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Hunter.
But Bill Whalen, a former Republican political staffer who’s now a fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, cautioned that the broader political environment next year might complicate the chances of a by-the-books conservative taking the seat.
“There’s going to be a lot more noise on climate change in California in the next 18 months, given the drought,” Whalen predicted, adding that it will be “tough for Republicans, in addition to the drilling and fracking issues, to be anti-climate change on the coast.”
As if to underscore the point, Capps on Thursday is scheduled to meet with San Luis Obispo County public health officials to discuss a new program that raises awareness about climate change.
Citing “multiple Democratic operatives,” CQ Roll Call reported that Capps’ daughter, Laura Capps, is a likely contender for the seat. Laura Capps and her husband, Bill Burton, a former top aide to President Barack Obama, moved to Santa Barbara in recent months.