Long Beach 8th District Councilmember Al Austin announced the morning of Feb. 1 via his campaign email that he is opting out of the race for the 33rd state Senate District seat.
Austin said that, after consulting with his family, friends and supporters, he came to the conclusion to not continue his pursuit of the Senate seat for the special election, which will take place Tuesday, March 26.
In his statement, the councilmember commended his fellow Democratic candidates in the Senate race and thanked those who supported his effort to run.
“It’s been my mission as a public servant to stand up for working families, increase opportunity, strengthen neighborhoods and improve our quality of life,” Austin wrote in his statement. “I announced a campaign for state Senate to build upon the work I’ve done in Long Beach and to do just that. While I’ve been humbled by the support I’ve received for the Senate campaign from communities across the region and all the endorsements from local leaders, there’s much more to accomplish at the local level, and that is where I will continue my focus.”
