Democrat John Laird says he won't run for California Senate in 2012

Similar stories:

• Educators, teachers endorse Assemblyman Bill Monning

  Educators, teachers endorse Assemblyman Bill Monning

  Assemblyman Bill Monning has picked up the endorsements of numerous state and local educators and teachers in his bid to succeed Sam Blakeslee as the Central Coast’s representative in the California state Senate.

  Monning, a Democrat from Carmel, is the only candidate who has announced his intention to run for the 17th District seat being vacated by Blakeslee, a Republican who is not running for re-election.

  Democrats hold a 17-percentage-point lead in registration over Republicans, and that is a key reason Blakeslee decided not to seek re-election.

• Sam Blakeslee not running for re-election after court decision on California Senate maps

  Sam Blakeslee not running for re-election after court decision on California Senate maps

  State Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, made it official Friday night that he will not seek another term in the wake of the California Supreme Court decision to uphold the Senate maps drawn last year by an independent redistricting commission.

  The high court announced its unanimous decision that the Senate map drawn by the commission should be used in the June primary and November general election, even though an initiative challenging the map is expected to qualify for the ballot.

  Blakeslee told The Tribune in a December interview that he likely would not seek re-election if the court so ruled because the district map, as drawn, strongly favored Democrats over Republicans in party registration.

• Lois Capps, Bill Monning pick up endorsements from Tri-Counties Central Labor Council

  Lois Capps, Bill Monning pick up endorsements from Tri-Counties Central Labor Council

  State Senate candidate Bill Monning and Rep. Lois Capps, both Central Coast Democrats, have picked up endorsements for next year’s election from the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council.

  Capps is running for reelection in the 24th Congressional District. Republican Abel Maldonado, a former Assemblyman, state senator and lieutenant governor, has announced that he will run against Capps.

  Monning, an Assemblyman, is seeking the 17th District state Senate seat now held by Republican Sam Blakeslee.

• New maps, primary system shape legislative races

  New maps, primary system shape legislative races

  Independently drawn political boundaries and a new way of electing lawmakers are expected to change the face of the California Legislature and could bring Democrats total control of the state Senate.

• Blakeslee of SLO may not seek re-election

  Blakeslee of SLO may not seek re-election

  If the California Supreme Court upholds redistricting boundaries hammered out by a voter-mandated citizens’ commission, Republican Sam Blakeslee said he likely won’t run for a second term in November as state senator of the 15th District.

  A GOP-backed referendum to overturn the boundaries is pending at the California Secretary of State’s Office. It could qualify for an upcoming ballot, but probably not in time for the June primary or November general election. The Supreme Court this month could decide what Senate districts to use in those elections.

  If the court chooses the redistricting commission’s lines, Blakeslee’s district would include more of liberal Santa Cruz County while losing conservative-leaning northern Santa Barbara County.