Rep. Elton Gallegly, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties’ Republican congressman for the past 25 years, will be calling it quits at the end of the current Congressional session.
According to his office, Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) informed a gathering of friends and family of his decision to not run for re-election on Jan. 6, calling his time in the U.S. House an “honor and a privilege.”
“Serving in Congress and representing my home for 25 years is the greatest experience I could have ever asked for,” Gallegly said in a statement. “Working with our country’s leadership on a daily basis in striving to move toward a better, stronger, and more vibrant America for more than two decades has been a dream come true. The decision to step aside at this time did not come lightly. But in the end, [wife] Janice and I decided now was the right time to begin the next chapter in our lives.”
Gallegly didn’t elaborate on his future plans, but in the statement said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his friends and looks forward to serving in Congress in his last year. His decision to retire comes after the state’s redistricting set up what would’ve been a difficult showdown with popular Republican incumbent and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, who has represented the 25th District since 1993.
A native of Southern California, Gallegly moved to Simi Valley in 1968 and was elected that city’s mayor in 1982. He ran for Congress for the 21st Congressional District in 1986, handily defeating his Democratic opponent, Gilbert Saldana. He subsequently won reelection 11 times, most recently in the 24th District, where he defeated challenger Tim Allison in 2010.
Best known for his work on animal cruelty and immigration issues, the 67-year-old Gallegly was the first non-lawyer to serve on the House Judiciary Committee and served as chairman of the House Subcommittee on
Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
Gallegly’s announcement comes on the heels of recent statements made by Sen. Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), indicating redistricting has led him to consider not running for re-election, depending on whether or not the state Supreme Court decides to redraw the boundaries approved by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission in 2011.
The new district maps are scheduled to take effect in time for the June primary elections.
