Laura Capps, a member of the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education, announced on Monday that she is running for Second District Santa Barbara County Supervisor.
Capps, who ran unsuccessfully against Das Williams for the First District seat two years ago, had to move in January of 2022 in order to qualify to run for the Second District seat.
She said she lived three blocks out of the boundaries after the county districts were reconfigured last year.
“My candidacy for County Supervisor centers on our children and their future. As supervisor, I will build on my decades of experience to tackle the urgent and interconnected issues of today: poverty, housing, homelessness, drought and climate change, mental health, economic development, transportation, healthcare and public safety, while creating innovative solutions for the issues of tomorrow,” Capps said in a statement.
Capps, 49, is the daughter of Lois and Walter Capps, who both were elected to serve in the U.S. Congress. She is a former White House aide and speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, and she has Democratic Party connections nationally. She also worked as an aide to former White House adviser George Stephanopoulos and was Sen. Ted Kennedy’s communications director.
She has degrees from the London School of Economics and UC Berkeley.
The Second District County Supervisor seat is open because current representative Gregg Hart is running for a State Assembly seat rather than running for re-election this year.
“For too many of our children, particularly children of color, Santa Barbara County is a challenging place to grow up — especially now as the pandemic endures,” Capps said in a statement. “Our county has one of the highest poverty rates in the state of California. Financial and food insecurity has a tight grip on the lives of many. Children struggle to thrive. Adults bear the havoc of soaring housing prices, often resorting to long, climate-damaging commutes. Our unsheltered neighbors suffer without the resources they need.
“I am fortunate I was raised in Goleta and Santa Barbara and am a product of our local public schools. My parents and teachers taught me from a young age what it means to be involved, to lend a hand, and make a difference in the lives of your neighbors. My career in public service spans three decades — in the White House, United States Senate, and national and local nonprofit organizations – reflecting a strong commitment to better the lives of others.
“I am running for County Supervisor with the experience and commitment to serve the entire county and bring bold solutions to address our urgent needs. The children of this county are my North Star. When we do right by them, we do right by us all,” Capps said.
Jonathan Abboud is considering a run for the Second District seat. Abboud is executive director of the Isla Vista Community Services District and a member of the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.