Bob Wieckowski jumps from Congress to supervisorial race

Three weeks after declaring his candidacy for Congress to succeed presidential hopeful Rep. Eric Swalwell, Fremont state Sen. Bob Wieckowski is shifting gears.

Now he wants to run for Alameda County Supervisor to replace Supervisor Scott Haggerty, a position that would afford him no term limits. Wieckowski, a bankruptcy attorney who sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, was elected to the Senate in 2014 and would term out in 2022.

“For over 20 years, Supervisor Haggerty has been a champion for our District and our County. It’s been an honor to work with Scott, and I congratulate him on a job well done and thank him for his dedication and service,” Wieckowski said in a statement. “I want to continue on the Supervisor’s work to create a more efficient transportation network to better connect people, housing, and jobs and invest in programs that will take on homelessness and serve children, youth, and families.”

Wieckowski initially pulled papers to run for Congress after Swalwell announced his run for president. But with Swalwell’s underwhelming entrance into the crowded field of 23 Democratic presidential hopefuls and trailing in national polls, political insiders speculate Swalwell might drop out of the race and file to run for re-election to his House seat.

As reported by the East Bay Citizen, Wieckowski’s path to victory for the open supervisor’s seat is much more certain than the congressional seat, placing the East Bay senator as a likely frontrunner in that race.

Wieckowski kicked off his supervisorial race Thursday with key endorsements from powerful California lawmakers, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins.

“In the Senate, he has worked to reduce red-tape to empower homeowners to build ADU’s as a solution to our housing crisis,” Kounalakis said in a statement. “He’s also delivered the funding we need to build key projects that will reduce traffic congestion across the Bay Area. I’m endorsing Bob because he has the experience in state and local government and the vision to ensure that Alameda County remains a place that works for everyone.”

“Senator Wieckowski is a proven leader in climate adaptation for California, and has helped position our state to be a model for our nation and the world on the fight against climate change,” added Atkins.

Wieckowski currently represents California’s Senate District 10 , which includes southern Alameda County and parts of Santa Clara County.

“I am excited to start this campaign, and show the residents of District 1 how my experiences in the Capitol and at City Hall can deliver real results for the East Bay,” Wieckowski said.