Blanca Rubio drops out of the race, endorses Chu

First came former Assembylman Ed Chavez’s announcement. Now, it’s Baldwin Park School Board Member Blanca Rubio, who announced she’s dropping out. But instead of endorsing Sen. Gil Cedillo, like Chavez did, Rubio is endorsing Board of Equalization Chairwoman Judy Chu.

Here’s the press release Chu’s office sent over:

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Blanca Rubio Decides Against Running for Congress, Will Endorse Chu

Baldwin Park Unified School District Board President Blanca Rubio announced Thursday that she will not be running for the 32nd Congressional District seat vacated by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and is instead endorsing Board of Equalization Vice Chair Judy Chu for the position.

“I want to thank all of my friends and fellow citizens who have encouraged and supported me so far in my efforts to represent the San Gabriel Valley in Congress,” said Rubio. “I urge them all to join me in helping to send Dr. Judy Chu to Washington.

“Dr. Chu is without a doubt the most qualified person to fight for the needs of San Gabriel Valley residents in our nation’s capital,” Rubio added. “She has represented the people of our district for more than two decades at the local and state level. She knows our communities like no one else in this race, and is a proven legislator, negotiator and coalition builder who will bring the kind of fiscal experience needed in Washington to get us out of our economic crisis.”

Rubio’s endorsement caps a marathon week for Dr. Chu, during which she also secured the support of the League of Conservation Voters for her 100 percent environmental voting record, which is extremely important to residents of the 32nd District. She also received the endorsement of the California Teachers Association, which has more than 6,000 members in the 32nd District.

Rubio joins a diverse coalition of more than 75 elected state, city and school officials representing the vast majority of the 32nd District who have already endorsed Dr. Chu’s campaign for Congress. Among her supporters are the entire city councils of El Monte and West Covina, the district’s two largest cities; the mayors of Duarte, Azusa and South El Monte; and all three Assembly members who represent the district in the state Legislature: Dr. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, Mike Eng, D-El Monte and Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles.

Dr. Chu has been elected nine times over the past 23 years by residents of the 32nd District, starting as a school board member, then as council member and mayor of Monterey Park for 13 years and later as Assembly member representing the 49th Assembly District from 2001 to 2006. She is currently the elected representative for Los Angeles County on the state Board of Equalization, which collects $53 billion a year in sales, use and property taxes for the state of California.

The special election for the 32nd Congressional District seat, which includes the cities of Monterey Park, Rosemead, El Monte, South El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina, Covina, Irwindale, Azusa and Duarte, as well as the Los Angeles communities of El Sereno and unincorporated portions of East Los Angeles, will be held on May 19.