Who will get Hilda Solis' Congressional seat after becomes Secretary of Labor? All bets are off for now, but a squabble in East L.A. could be in the cards.


Gloria Romero: Lady in Waiting?

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported yesterday that State Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) is aggressively pursuing  the soon-to-be vacant seat. Romero is a staunch labor supporter known for occasionally breaking ranks to decry the burgeoning number of illegal immigrants in California prisons whom Mexico refuses to take back. She told the Trib she was "very interested in this seat."
"I have represented this district for over 10 years in the California state legislature," she said. "I know this district well, and this district knows me."

Romero was elected to the 24th Senate District in 2001, replacing Solis. Her district stretches from East Los Angeles to West Covina. Romero gained backbone in the legislature when she held tough oversight hearings into California's dysfunctional prison system.

Also reportedly batting around the idea of running are Assemblyman Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) and Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization.

Chu, the former mayor of Monterey Park, was elected to the California State Board of Equalization in November 2006. If Chu runs, it could pave the way for the first Asian American in a decade to be elected to Congress from Southern California. She was elected as the representative of the 49th District of the State Assembly in May 15, 2001. While she was Mayor of Monterey Park she successfully battled an outdoor advertising company that wanted to plaster billboards along the city's freeways. The former psychology professor began her career in public service as a Board Member of the Garvey School District from 1985 to 1988.

Chu told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that she is "considering any and all possibilities."

Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, a strong health care advocate for poor communities, won his seat in the California State Assembly in 2006. He serves on the Assembly Committee on Health as well as Budget Subcommittee One - which oversees portions of the budget dealing with Health and Human Services.

Hernandez' 57th Assembly district director, Rob Charles, said that the assemblyman "hasn't made any decisions one way or another" on whether he will throw his hat into the ring. "He has heard from a number of people but isn't making any decisions yet," said Charles.

Once Solis leaves her seat, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will have 14 days to call a special election.