- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Evans to leave state Senate in 2014, retire from public office
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Lake County's representative in the state Senate confirmed on Monday that she will not seek reelection when her term ends next year.
Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) said she will retire from public office in 2014 at the conclusion of her first Senate term, with plans to return to her private law practice.
Evans, 58, represents the Second Senate District, which includes all or portions of Lake, Humboldt, Mendocino, Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. She also chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
“This year marks my 20th in public office, including 10 years in the Legislature. But Sacramento is not my home and politics not how I planned to spend my life. Though I enjoyed my job as a lawmaker, my first love is the administration of justice. I will leave the Legislature next year at the end of my term to return to my private law practice,” Evans said in a Monday statement issued by her office.
She expressed her gratitude to the community and to her staff, and recounted being part of seeing California through “unprecedented challenges.”
Prior to succeeding Patricia Wiggins in the North Coast's state Senate seat in 2010, Evans had served six years in the state Assembly, beginning in 2004.
During her time in the Senate, she's worked on efforts to save state parks from closure, written legislation to bolster the California Environmental Quality Act, been a part of creating the nation’s first Homeowner's Bill of Rights, worked to stop shutdown of public services in response to budget cuts, and been involved with protecting the region's coast, updating wine industry regulations and improving the foster care system.
She also chaired the Senate Budget Committee at a time when she said the state was facing an “economic meltdown.”
“I hope my efforts over the past two decades have contributed in some small measure to a better future for us all,” Evans said.
With Evans' decision not to run again, it means that both of the state legislative seats representing Lake County will be open next year.
A large field already is forming to run for the Fourth District Assembly seat currently held by Mariko Yamada, who will be termed out next year.
The field in that race includes Lake County Supervisor Anthony Farrington, Davis Mayor Joe Krovoza, Davis City Councilman Dan Wolk, Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd and Napa County Planning Commissioner Matt Pope, who also is Evans' district representative.
Evans has given Pope her endorsement in the Assembly race.
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