Lois Capps announces retirement

April 8, 2015

Democratic Rep. Lois Capps, who has represented the Central Coast in Congress since 1998, released a video statement Wednesday announcing that this will be her final term in the House of Representatives and that she will retire at the conclusion of the 114th Congress.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done together her on the Central Coast – to improve, education, to expand healthcare, to support businesses and our veterans and to protect the environment and agriculture,” Capps said in a statement. “But now I believe it is time for me to return home back to the community and family that I love so much.”

Lois Capps husband Walter Capps was elected to Congress in 1996, however, he died of a heart attack less than a year into his term. Lois Capps then won the seat in a special election in 1998.

Rep. Lois Capps

Rep. Lois Capps

Though she has continued to retain the district seat, in 2014, she had the closest race of her congressional career against Republican Chris Mitchum. Lois Capps ultimately won by a 3.8 percent margin.

Capps’ daughter and son-in-law recently gave up their bicoastal life to settle fulltime in Santa Barbara fueling speculation the Laura Capps plans to run for her mother’s 24th District seat in 2016.

Rumors have been circulating for more than a year that Laura Capps, 42, was planning to relocate to Santa Barbara in order to run for her 77-year-old mother’s seat in the 2016 election.

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She just wanted to finally keep that oath she made when she started, just a few terms too late.


that old saw: back by popular demand


It is true is it not? If she used it merely as campaign propaganda, she deserves to have it keep coming back at her. If she was sincere but later changed her mind, she should have come out and publicly explained herself and took the heat for doing so.


Lois Capps ran for re-election eight times and won every time.

The VOTERS publicly explained themselves.

They liked Lois Capps, and it was the democratic ( small d ) process that made it so.


Republican whining and nitpicking is merely trite and petty. But that’s what they’re good at.


Walter was still warm when she said that.


That’s COLD !


Congressional seats should not be a family perk. btw, also, no more Bush or Clinton.


I think the trend began with the death of Mr Eric Seastrand whose wife stepped in and did an admirable job GOP cheerleading but lost the election when it came round Lois is a winner


Andrea actually had some ability. Lois was a loser from the very beginning.


excluding the elections


I agree about Andrea but Lois was a mixed bag as far as what she has achieved. Like most congress critters, she has tried (and often succeeded) at taking care of the little problems that too often come up when citizens bump heads with the federal bureaucracy. She has also tried hard to get some things done. Whether you agree with them or not, I think her efforts in many of these things were sincere.


Where she has failed is in dealing with “big picture” issues like national security, individual rights, corruption, etc. It is not surprising for that to happen to a rookie Congressman but, after 16 years in office, she should have enough seniority to wield some influence. She has either not used it or she has used it so quietly that no one knows about it. I don’t think it’s the latter. I think that she is not able or willing enough to stand up an be vocal — especially when the ones needing opposition are in her own party.


Lois Capps had less than four years in the majority. The Republicans have blocked, obstructed, and evaded ANY meaningful legislation from even moderate Democratic caucus.

It was only in that short window when Democrats had ( narrowly ) the House and the Senate, and President Obama that we got ACA …with much leadership from Lois Capps; and now, despite Republican obstinacy, 11 million more Americans have health insurance and at least 4,500 Americans will not die this year due to lack of insurance.


I’d say that’s pretty big.


Slower, before Obamacare, no one died due to lack of insurance. No one. So where did you get the 4,500 number from?


By gosh, you’re right !

I was off by 45,500 !

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/02/1376090/-Oba-helped-save-50-000-lives-Why-yes-it-nbsp-has#


Republicans are soul-less killers.


how’s that cool-aid tasting?


Ah how sweet, daughter wants to be a carpetbagger.


We learned that lesson with the Bush klan.


Carpetbagger ? Laura Burton-Capps was born here and grew up on the Central Coast !


She also graduated with a B.A. w/ honors in History from UC Berkely , and a Masters w/ distinction in International History from the London School of Economics and Political Science.


I wonder:

Will she wipe her private email “server” clean ?


Thank you Lois Capps, for your tireless and often thankless service !


Yes, TY for all the nothingness you are responsible for. Please, if I am in error correct me for all the wonderful things you did while collecting $ and voting for whatever Nancy and Barack said.


Hey, as I recall, she got 50K for gang members to have tattoos removed…


Your recall is faulty, former gang members to have tattoos removed….


Of course fax news etc forgot to mention that part.


Words matter.


Facts do not matter to Republicans, nor do they care.


As I recall it was 15K with a lot of the labor done by volunteers. It has been a successful program too — those who have used it have a MUCH lower rate of criminal activity than those who kept their gang affiliations. Would you rather pay the $30-$40K per year to keep each one in prison than to help those who want to get away from gang life to do so?


Typical classless response from the usual reactionary nutwagon.


As she reties with her 2nd or 3rd government retirement package. At least some of the old incompetent cronies are going away..Boxer, Reed, Capps and hopefully these political destiny will go away.


I just learned the embers of congress AND their aides get FREE student loans for their kids. Corrupt, corrupt, corrupt!


That is all we need, another incompetent Capps in Congress. She is living proof of why you do not let a surviving spouse run. Think Hillary. We don’t need a Capps Dynasty.


george w. bush


jeb bush


willard Romney


You forgot Clinton.


Said above ^^^. I thought you knew that.


Commenting on your comment of Bush’s, Romney, where did a miss it?


why don’t you run against Laura? Hillary incompetent?? and who’s is qualified in your opinion? Rand Paul? Maybe he can fit you a pair of glasses, you don’t seem to see straight. He gave himself that degree and all. Hillary she has no resume- nah.


Hillary may have a resume as a competent politician but that is not necessarily a compliment nor, especially in her case, a good reason to support her. I agree that dynasties are rarely a good thing and are usually a result of the name recognition not the qualifications or the character. It is a sad statement about our society that so many people vote based on such superficial characteristics.


It is a sad statement that so many people are able to vote in Amurica without the slightest clue of who and what they are voting for, or why.


Think about it …a 100 IQ is ‘average’, meaning just barely literate or able to understand and communicate rudimentary complex thoughts.

Fully HALF of the population is dumber than that !


Yet day after day your able to find this website????????????????

And post liberal left blah blah blah.


Gee. I guess I smarter than YUUU !

I no need to put multi question marks or make Seinfeld accusations.

So there ! Yu DUMMMIE ! PHSHHHFFFFTTT !


( That’s a fart sound, but kinda loose ).


Done about as much damage as one person can do, so hell, why not retire and take advantage of all the crony dollars awaiting her as payoff. It pays to be a politician – Capone is saying in his grave: dang, that’s too easy.


Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.


Didn’t Lois say this about two terms ago?


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