Democrat Jerry McNerney announces bid for Stockton-area Senate seat as Villapuduas swap races

Former U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney is returning to politics less than a year after leaving Congress.

"Honestly, it wasn't my idea," McNerney told The Record on Saturday. "I was approached and several people wanted me to think about this, so here I am."

The Democrat made the announcement late Friday — the final day to register for state elections. He is running for the state Senate District 5 seat being vacated by Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), who is nearing the end of her term.

The district includes San Joaquin County and the northeastern portion of Alameda County.

McNerney, who was in the House for more than a decade, said he decided to enter the 2024 race because the state Senate is "a wonderful place if you like to get things done."

"The House of Representatives, it's a quagmire, especially now," he said. "In general, it's very hard and it takes decades ... it took me almost two decades to get that veteran's hospital built there in French Camp, and that's typical."

McNerney spent much of his political career working alongside veterans to advocate for the development of the Stockton VA Clinic in French Camp and secure funding for the facility.

The facility will open next year and offer primary care and specialty health services, including addiction and substance abuse treatment, mental health care, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and physical and occupational therapy.

McNerney said he was proud of the constituent services he provided for veterans during his time in Congress. He pointed to a bipartisan bill that he authored, aimed at improving care for U.S. military veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.

While the former congressman said he plans to continue advocating for veterans, there are other issues he would like to address if elected to the state Senate, such as climate change, gun violence and bringing more dollars to San Joaquin County schools.

"The state is so much different. You can actually see your work, you can see it day-to-day, and to me, that is very exciting," McNerney said. "I was honored to serve for 16 years and I left on a high note. I wasn't expecting to come back, but I hope the community still would honor me with the privilege of serving them again, and continuing the work I did in Congress."

McNerney will be running against Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton). The assemblyman made a last-minute change to his reelection plans when he announced on Thursday that he would run for the open Senate seat instead of another Assembly term.

He swapped races the day before the candidate filing deadline with his wife, Edith Villapudua, who originally announced that she would run for the open Senate seat. She is now poised to run against Rhodesia Ransom, a staffer to Rep. Josh Harder (D-Tracy), for the Assembly seat being vacated by her husband.

In a statement, the assemblyman said he made the decision after "much thought and consideration, and after discussing with both (his) wife and (his) family."

"In the state Assembly, I have been able to fight for our San Joaquin Delta, pass legislation that targeted fentanyl dealers, assisted survivors of human trafficking, helped reduce waste and clean our environment, and help lift people from poverty to entrepreneurship," he said. “I look forward to taking this record of accomplishment to the state Senate and achieve results for the people of the 5th Senate District."

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.