By Manny Otiko | IVN
State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) will challenge Curt Hagman for a position on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, according to news reports. Hagman, a Republican, is currently board chair.
Leyva is currently in her second term as a state senator. She had previously announced she was going to run for another term, but changed her mind because of redistricting. Leyva’s district includes an area that covers Bloomington, Chino, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Muscoy, Ontario, Pomona, Rialto and San Bernardino.
“I’m honored to have served for 7 years as State Senator to the hard-working people of LA & San Bernardino counties. Thrilled to be running for re-election to Senate District 22, a newly drawn district with a majority of people I have been elected by and served for the past 7 yrs,” said Levi in a December tweet.
However, in January, Levya announced she was stepping down from her position.
“Like many of you, COVID-19 has allowed us to reevaluate our priorities and what truly matters in our lives,” said Leyva in a press release. “This past week, while celebrating the holidays with my family, I came to the ultimate decision not to run for re-election to the State Senate so that I can be home more often when I complete my term later this year. It continues to be an honor to serve the families and communities of San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire in the Legislature—and I will continue working just as hard to deliver the quality representation that families in our region deserve through the remainder of my time in office.”
Leyva, a native of Chino, started in politics in the labor movement. She was union representative and president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1428. In this position, she helped workers fight for better wages and improved working conditions.
She later served as president of the California Labor Federation, where she represented more than 2 million workers around the state. Leyva was the first woman to serve in that position.
She was first elected to the California Senate in 2014. In the Senate, Leyva has worked on bills involving issues such as labor, criminal justice reform, education, health and the environment.
Hagman was elected to the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors in 2014. He was named board chair in 2019. Before serving on the Board of Supervisors, Hagman was a member of the Chino Hills City Council and also served as mayor. Hagman also spent six years in the California Assembly.
Inland Valley News coverage of local news in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.