Tony Cárdenas won’t seek reelection in 2024 and will back Luz Rivas for seat

United States Congressmember Tony Cárdenas (D-North Hollywood) has announced that he will not seek reelection and will endorse Assemblymember Luz Rivas in the 2024 election for the 29th District.

The Los Angeles Times reported that legislator Rivas (D-North Hollywood) will run for the seat in Congress that represents much of the San Fernando Valley.

Rivas, 49, told the Times she is tired of the “constant state of dysfunction” the Republican Party has exhibited since the ouster in October of Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

“Our constituents are paying the price,” Rivas said in a Saturday phone interview with the Times. “Residents of the San Fernando Valley deserve a member of Congress that will focus on their needs, like I have in the state Legislature.”

Rivas is vying to be the first Latina to represent the district in Congress. Cárdenas became the first Latino to represent the district in 2012 when he was elected to Congress. The district includes the city of San Fernando, Van Nuys, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, and parts of Sun Valley and North Hollywood.

“Luz is a genuine public servant who has dedicated herself to delivering opportunities for the Valley,” Cárdenas told The Times. “She gets things done, and has always put working families first. I am proud to support Luz for Congress.”

Rivas became a member of the California Assembly in 2018 following the resignation of Raul Bocanegra, who was the subject of a sexual harassment investigation.

Rivas chairs the Natural Resources Committee in the Assembly and secured millions of dollars in funding for her district. She is the author of 18 bills, 11 of which became laws.