In a surprise, Democratic Rep. Scott Peters announced on Wednesday that he would seek re-election rather than run for mayor of San Diego in 2020. Peters had reportedly been considering a campaign to succeed termed-out GOP Mayor Kevin Faulconer for a while, and he even formed an exploratory committee for a mayoral bid in December. However, as we always caution, forming an exploratory committee is not the same thing as announcing a campaign, because someone isn’t running for office until they announce they’re running for office. Until that magic moment, they can always back down, as Peters did on Wednesday.
Now that Peters has committed to seeking re-election, he should have little trouble winning a fifth term in the House. While California’s 52nd District was very swingy tuft early in the decade and Peters only won narrowly in 2012 and 2014, Donald Trump has helped push it further into the blue column. The seat moved from 52-46 Obama all the way to 58-36 Clinton, and Peters won his last two terms in Congress with ease. Team Red may have tried competing for it in 2020 had Peters left, but it probably won’t be too high on their target list now.
By seeking re-election, Peters is also avoiding a potentially crowded contest for mayor. Two Democrats, City Councilor Barbara Bry and Assemblymember Todd Gloria, have already announced they’re in, and there are plenty of other potential candidates eyeing this race.