Lowenthal Latest House Member to Forego Bid for Reelection in 2022
WASHINGTON – After nearly 10 years in Congress, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., has decided not to run for re-election in 2022.
“It is time to pass the baton,” Lowenthal said in a statement to his constituents. “It is time to rest and surround myself with the benefits of a life well lived and earned honorably in the service of my fellow citizens.”
Born in Queens, New York, Lowenthal got his first taste of politics campaigning as a teenager for Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in the 1950s.
But it wasn’t until about 30 years ago, long after he moved to Long Beach, California, and became a professor of community psychology at California State University, Long Beach, that the bug bit again.
“I made the decision to run for the Long Beach City Council because I felt that my council member didn’t listen to me or my neighbors,” Lowenthal recalled in his retirement announcement.
Lowenthal went on leave to make his initial run for office, and he remained on leave until his formal retirement from teaching in 1998.
That was the same year he made a successful run for California State Assembly, a position he’d be re-elected to twice; he then ran for the State Senate, where he served for two terms.
He was first elected to Congress in 2012.
“During my time as a public servant, I have met some of the most incredible people, received the counsel of wise leaders, and had the honor of working with some of the most dedicated public servants,” Lowenthal said.
“However, throughout this journey, sharing moments with the people I serve have … been some of the high points of my career,” he said.
Lowenthal went on to remind his constituents that he will continue to be their “champion in Washington” for another year.
“I am determined to make the most of that time,” he said. “After that, there are certainly other pages left to write in my life and other challenges I would like to take on beyond the halls of government.
“While I am stepping aside from the front lines of that struggle, I will continue to be at your side, fighting for what is right, for what is just, and for what makes us better as both a people and a nation,” he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Thursday in which she said “Over the course of his long career in public service, Rep. Lowenthal has been a preeminent champion for the environment.
“In helping transform the port of Long Beach into one of the cleanest and busiest in the world, he proved that environmental protection and economic growth go hand-in-hand,” Pelosi continued. “ As chair of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources, as well as a leader of the Safe Climate Caucus, he helped elevate the climate crisis as one of our top priorities. He was a valued participant in our COP26 delegation to Glasgow, Scotland.
“And as an outspoken voice on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he fought tirelessly for climate action in our Build Back Better Act. Those of us fortunate enough to have worked with him also deeply respect his willingness to reach across the aisle in order to get things done for his constituents,” Pelosi continued.
“After a decade in the House, Rep. Lowenthal’s passion and intellect will be deeply missed by our caucus and the Congress. On behalf of his admiring colleagues, I thank him for his years of service as well as his continued leadership through the remainder of his term. We wish him and his wife Deborah all the best as they embark on their next adventure,” Pelosi said.
