Garamendi rules out a run in Miller’s district

Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) poured cold water on speculation he could switch districts to compete for retiring Rep. George Miller’s (D-Calif.) safely Democratic seat.

“I will run for reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, and I will be honored to continue representing the people of this district for as long as I am able,” Garamendi said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday.  

Garamendi represented a large portion of Miller’s district before redistricting shook up the California map. Garamendi’s office said he ran in a new district in 2012 out of deference to Miller and initially did not rule out a switch. 

“We’ve received several calls from his former constituents in Contra Costa County asking him to run. For three years, Garamendi represented almost all of the current 11th District in Congress,” a Garamendi spokesman had earlier told the Chronicle. 

“It’s very early in the process and a lot needs to be considered,” the spokesman continued. 

Garamendi won California’s 3rd District with 54 percent of the vote in the last election. Miller, in a more safely Democratic district, won his reelection bid with 69 percent of the vote. 

Potential Democratic candidates are already angling for a run. 

California state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D) has already announced his decision to run. 

Other potential candidates include California state Assemblywomen Joan Buchanan (D) and Susan Bonilla (D). They both lost to Garamendi in a 2009 special election. 

— This post was updated at 9:35 a.m.