Rep. Reuven Carlyle has decided not to run against Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles for the 36th district Senate seat. Rather, Carlyle will be running for re-election for his current seat in the House of Representatives.
Carlyle posted a statement on his website reuvencarlyle36.com elaborating his decision.
"After much consideration and reflection, I have decided to run for re-election to the House of Representatives. I had seriously considered running for the Senate this year but will not do so."
“While I believe I could play a substantive role in the Senate toward progress on the central issues we face in Washington–the structural issues of education, tax modernization and quality of life—I accept the argument that with Democrats across the state working mightily to regain the majority, this is not the time to negatively impact swing district races that Democrats can and must win.”
Responding to Carlyle’s deliberation to run against her, Jeanne Kohl-Welles said, "It was a big surprise to me.”
“Reuven told me over coffee that Friday. He might have been expecting me to not have plans to run, but after he told me, I went into full campaign mode,” said Kohl-Welles.
Carlyle took some tome to think it over and then decided against it, never making a formal announcement to run for the Senate.
Kohl-Welles said after the story broke she had a huge response from her supporters, however she is happy with Carlyle’s decision not to run against her.
“I happen to like him a lot and he's a very capable legislator,” said Kohl-Welles. “ I'm very pleased with what he's decided and look forward to working with him to regain the majority in the Legislature."
“I have long expressed my personal respect for Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and my consideration of a campaign was no reflection otherwise. She is a good and caring person who works hard and cares passionately about our community. I endorse her for re-election for another term without reservation,” wrote Carlyle.
Kohl-Welles holds a Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from UCLA. She was also a Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.
Kohl-Welles has represented the 36th Legislative District since 1992. Since then she has been a leader in an array of issues, including medical marijuana access, patients’ rights and access to higher education.
Moreover, Kohl-Welles has been instrumental in passing anti-human trafficking legislation. Four bills and one Senate Joint Memorial (SJM 8003) passed during the 2014 legislative session.
