Dante Acosta announced Tuesday evening that he will seek Scott Wilk’s vacating seat in California’s 38th Assembly District in the upcoming November election.

“I was approached to consider (running for the seat),” Acosta said. “In this compressed time frame, I wasn’t expecting to run. I really want to serve our community going forward… It would be an honor to serve.”

Wilk announced on Friday that he will run for the California State Senate and will not seek re-election in Assembly District 38 in the upcoming November election.

Assembly District 38 encompasses the Simi Valley, most of the Santa Clarita Valley and the northern section of the San Fernando Valley.

Wilk is seeking to replace Senator Sharon Runner in California’s 21st State Senate District, who announced Thursday she will not seek re-election.

The 21st Senate District encompasses the Antelope Valley, Victor Valley and portions of the Santa Clarita Valley.

The deadline for file for candidacy for both Wilk and Runner’s seat is Wednesday.

Acosta currently serves as the mayor pro tem for the Santa Clarita City Council. He was elected as a councilman in 2014.

He is also a part of several city council committees, including: the economic development, film and tourism and Whittaker-Bermite committees.

Acosta serves as the city of Santa Clarita’s board delegate on the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Council as well.

When Acosta is not working at Santa Clarita City Hall, “you can find him volunteering, coaching little league, acting, and traveling,” according to his biography on the city of Santa Clarita’s website.

Acosta was born and raised in Southern California and moved to the Santa Clarita Valley over 28 years ago with his wife, Carolyn.

He and his wife, “have always believed in giving back to their community,”  according to his biography.

In addition to serving on the Santa Clarita City Council and various other committees, Acosta has been involved in numerous other organizations, including: the Santa Clarita Valley Rotary Club, Old Town Newhall Association, Circle of Hope, Inc., North Los Angeles County Republican National Hispanic Assembly and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in Los Angeles.

He was also appointed by Wilk as a delegate to the State Republican Party.

After his eldest son, Army Specialist Rudy Acosta, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011, Dante focused his energy on his family and the charities he supports, while continuing to give back to his community, according to his biography.

Acosta is the founder of the Rudy A. Acosta Memorial Foundation and is a member of the fundraising committee for the “Portraits of the Fallen Memorial,” a project that honors California’s fallen heroes from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The memorial includes an artist rendering of each fallen military service member and is designed to commemorate America’s heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for peace and freedom.

Acosta wears a lapel pin representing Gold Star Families to honor and remember his son and raise awareness of the sacrifice his family and families nationwide have made.

As members of the Gold Star Family, Dante and Carolyn remain active in military-related issues.