Secretary of State Debra Bowen is jumping into the race to succeed Democratic Rep. Jane Harman in Congress.
Bowen announced her candidacy Tuesday after gauging support online in recent days. The Democrat said in a statement that she has proven that "solving problems is much more important to me than party labels."
Bowen previously represented a large portion of Harman's Los Angeles County congressional district during her time in the Legislature. But she is not the first to jump into the race.
Another Democrat, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, already has locked in endorsements from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Assembly Speaker John Perez.
Harman is resigning to become president and chief executive of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on Feb. 28.
