Logue quits state Senate race

Citing health issues, Assemblyman Dan Logue announced Monday he will not seek the 4th State Senate District seat in a Nov. 6 special election and will instead concentrate on winning a final two-year term in the state Assembly.

"Last week, I was campaigning in Mount Shasta and I had this foot infection," said Logue, R-Loma Rica. After the infection was diagnosed as gout, Logue said, he began taking antibiotics but felt even worse.

"When I did some tests, I had four-fifths kidney failure," he said, adding he was also on crutches. Given the size of the district, covering 40,000-square miles, his doctor advised him to change antibiotics and drop out of the race to ensure a full recovery.

"It's the hardest decision I ever had to make, but I can't help the people of California if I abuse myself," Logue said, adding he's also changed his diet to address gout, an ailment similar to arthritis and exacerbated by eating such foods as beef and beer.

Because the special election for the 4th State Senate seat was also set for Nov. 6, Logue will be on the ballot in both that race and the 3rd Assembly District. If he wins both seats, he would have had to give up one of them, triggering a special election to fill it.

Logue is a former member of the Yuba County Board of Supervisors.

Logue's departure means the state Senate race in a heavily Republican district would seem to tilt toward Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, who chose not to run for re-election to the Assembly this year.

However, because Logue's name will still be on the ballot, he could still receive enough votes to either win the state Senate seat outright or advance to a runoff.

Nielsen, R-Gerber, has the endorsement of former State Sen. Doug LaMalfa, who is running for Congress. However, many Yuba-Sutter Republicans in recent weeks have said they were supporting Logue.

In a statement posted to his campaign website Monday afternoon, Nielsen said Logue had called him over the weekend to inform him of his decision to drop out and offered his endorsement for the state Senate seat.

"My thoughts and prayers are with Dan and his family and I wish him a full recovery," Nielsen said in the statement.

In addition to Nielsen, three others are running in the 4th Senate special election, two no-party-preference candidates from Butte County and Mickey Harrington, a Democrat and past unsuccessful Assembly candidate.

The 3rd Assembly District race will be between Logue and Democrat Charles Rouse, a Corning-area olive farmer and retired postal worker.

In recent weeks, Rouse's campaign has noted Logue's failure to appear at several candidate forums for the Assembly seat, suggesting Rouse was the only candidate truly interested in the seat.

Rouse said Logue's announcement didn't change his approach.

"I'm not going to do anything different," he said. "We're advertising, we're meeting, we're contacting voters every day. It's busy."

Logue said medical tests in the last week had taken him off the campaign trail, but he planned to fully participate in events as an Assembly candidate going forward.

While he didn't rule out running for the state Senate again, he said he wasn't looking at any other race for now.

"The only thing that really matters to me is my Assembly race and working for the people of California," he said.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4786. Find him on Facebook at /ADbvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADbvandermeer.