Former Assemblywoman Sharon Runner has announced that she will run for the State Senate seat vacated yesterday by her husband, George.
George Runner resigned his seat representing the 17th District in order to assume the office on the State Board of Equalization to which he was elected in November.
Sharon Runner had been serving on the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, a position she assumed in 2009 by appointment of the Governor. Her term was set to expire January 1, 2011.
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She feels her familiarity with the 17th district region – which includes the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys and parts of Kern and San Bernardino counties – will make her the most qualified and able candidate to serve out her husband’s term.
A bout with scleroderma, which placed her on a waiting list for a lung transplant, has been successfully treated and she no longer needs the transplant.
“My lungs are much better,” she told the Sacramento Bee, adding that she has taken no sick days during her service on the Unemployment Board.
Sharon Runner served in the Assembly previously, representing the 36th District, from 2002 to 2008.
The primary election to fill Runner’s empty seat and that of the 28th District seat of the late Senator Jenny Oropoeza will be held February 15. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to an April 19 runoff.