Sacramento Municipal Utility District Director Bill Slaton announced today he is dropping his bid to challenge Republican Rep. Dan Lungren and endorsing fellow Democrat Dr. Ami Bera in the 3rd Congressional District race.
"The more I have spoken to people about what I can contribute to public policy and the more I have listened to their concerns, the clearer it has become that my best opportunity for service lies right here at home," he wrote in an e-mail to supporters, adding that he plans to focus his energy on developing "green" jobs in California.
Slaton's departure leaves Bera, a political newcomer who hails from Elk Grove, as the Democrats' top candidate to unseat Lungren, who won the re-election with 49.5 percent of the vote in 2008.
Bera issued a statement Monday praising Slaton as a "champion for renewable energy development and a strong leader in the community."
"I am honored to have his support as we work toward our shared goal--pushing aside partisanship and working to create jobs and opportunity for Californians. Bill's support will be critical as we continue to build momentum for the change we need in Congress," he said in a statement.
Bera, who has outraised the eight-term incumbent he is seeking to unseat in two consecutive fundraising periods, reported about $586,000 in his campaign coffers as of Sept. 30. Lungren reported having $442,000 in the bank as of the last filing deadline.
Andy Stone, the Western regional spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, commended Slaton as an "honorable public servant" and called the seat a "real target of opportunity" for Democrats.
"With today's development, Ami Bera will be able to concentrate all of his efforts - including his considerable fundraising prowess - on defeating Dan Lungren," he wrote in an e-mail.
The Bee's Washington correspondent Rob Hotakainen took a closer look at the targeted CD3 race earlier this fall. Click here to read that story.
This post was updated with statements from Andy Stone and Ami Bera.
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