Adam Schiff ponders Senate run

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Thursday that he is seriously considering running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Barbara Boxer, who announced she will retire after her term ends in 2016.

“Since Sen. Boxer announced her retirement, I have been encouraged by many Californians to run for her seat in 2016,” Schiff said in a statement. “As the opportunity to run for a California Senate seat comes around very seldom, and I would relish the chance to serve the entire state, I am giving the matter serious consideration.”

Schiff represents California’s 28th Congressional District, which includes Glendale, Burbank and La Cañada, and has been a member of Congress since 2001.

Prior to that, he served in the state’s senate from 1996-01.

In his seventh term in the House of Representatives, Schiff currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“Last week, I was named to the top Democratic position on the intelligence committee, and I am deeply grateful for the confidence that my House colleagues have placed in me,” Schiff said. “The demands and responsibilities of this new position are considerable, and I hope to reach a decision in the near future after consulting with my family, friends and constituents.”

Last week, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) said she is seriously considering running for Boxer’s Senate seat, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dan Schnur, executive director of Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California, does not endorse candidates, but noted in a Wall Street Journal blog two weeks ago that Schiff, alongside Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), was a strong candidate from California’s pool of House members.

With 53 members in the House, California representatives have a more difficult uphill climb in winning a Senate seat than those from states with a smaller pool of elected officials, Schnur said.

But he added that Schiff has a tremendous amount of respect from his time on the intelligence committee and has a blend of liberal leanings on social issues, while taking a conservative stance on economic matters.

“Schiff is a rare Democrat who can appeal to this party’s base without frightening the state’s business community,” Schnur said.