Assemblymember Mike Gatto announced today that he won’t be running for the State Senate in 2016.

He cited in a statement that “campaigning at this time would not be in my family’s best interest” as the primary reason for not running. He elaborated by stating that being away from his young daughters and wife and the unsolved murder of his father as influencing his decision.

Gatto also noted in his statement the accomplishments from his years in service including building a rainy day fund for California, a water bond and substantive Prop. 65 reform.

“Please know that my decision was a difficult one, and it probably caused as much gray hair on my head as the passage of time and the rigors of the job have. I am not disappearing,” the statement read.

Mike Gatto is the chairman of the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, and the longest-serving current member of the State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.

For the complete story, read the Dec. 3 issue of the Crescenta Valley Weekly.