Story By Joe Nelson | The Sun

State Sen. Bill Emmerson on Friday announced his resignation, effective Dec. 1, saying his passion for the job has diminished and that his constituents deserved “a Senator with the level of commitment that I once had.”

In a brief statement released late Friday, Emmerson, R-Redlands, called his nine years of service “some of the most fulfilling years of my life” and “an honor” but said it is time to move on. He said he remains in perfect health.

Mark Hedlund, spokesman for the Senate President Pro Tem’s office, told the Associated Press it came as a surprise when Emmerson submitted his resignation Friday afternoon.

Potential candidates to replace Emmerson in the Republican-heavy district are Assemblymen Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, and Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks.

Reached by telephone Friday, Morrell said the news of Emmerson’s resignation came as a big surprise. He said he will officially announce Tuesday whether he will seek Emmerson’s seat.

“I’ve been seeking counsel from trusted advisers and of course, my family,” Morrell said. “Everybody wants me to run for it, so I’m definitely heading in that direction. I’m going to take the weekend to think about it, and will probably say ‘yes’ on Tuesday.”

Emmerson, 68, of Redlands has represented his Southern California district since 2004, when he was elected to the Assembly. He won his Senate seat in 2010, and would have been forced out of office by term limits in 2016.

His resignation sets up a special election but is not expected to change the composition of the Senate, where Democrats hold a two-thirds supermajority.

Republicans have 41 percent of registered voters to Democrats’ 34 percent in the district that includes parts of San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read the full article at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Nelson covers San Bernardino County for The Sun, Daily Bulletin and Redlands Daily Facts. Reach the author at Joe.Nelson@inlandnewspapers.com or follow Joe on Twitter: @sbcountynow.