New candidate enters race for 4th Senate District

Jann Reed, a member of the Chico Unified School District board of trustees, said Wednesday she was joining the race for the open 4th District state Senate seat.

Her candidacy brings to six the number of candidates running for the seat vacated by Doug LaMalfa. Assembly members Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica, and Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, along with Mickey Harrington, D-Magalia, Benjamin Emery and Dan Levine have also filed to run in the special election being consolidated with the Nov. 6 general election.

The 4th District includes Yuba and Sutter counties.

Reed, who will complete her second term on the school board in November, gave a couple of reasons for running for the Senate.

She said the Legislature has failed to address important problems, such as the funding of public schools. Also, Reed said she was disgusted by what she called political maneuvering by elected officials in their own self-interest.

Reed said she believes LaMalfa's resignation from the 4th District Senate office was that sort of maneuver. She said LaMalfa was trying to smooth the way for the election of his chosen successor, Nielsen, adding the game of politics shouldn't be played that way.

Legislators should work for the good of California, not for the benefit of their party or themselves, she said.

Reed, who is registered as "No party preference," called herself an independent thinker.

The deadline for filing for the special election was Wednesday.