Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) announced last week he would run for Mike McGuire’s seat in the state senate in the 2026 election and has nabbed endorsements from a few notable politicos.

McGuire will soon term out from his seat, which has also prompted Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore and Santa Rosa City Council member Natalie Rogers to announce their campaigns for Senate District 2 — which stretches seven counties from Marin to Del Norte.

“I’m running because we need someone with the experience and track record to meet this moment, someone who would be ready to deliver for our communities on day one,” said Connolly in a phone interview Wednesday. He pointed to the Trump Administration, “I think people are justifiably scared. We are hearing from constituents every day about what is happening to our country. That’s what’s motivating me to do this. I truly believe we need to step up right now. We need to fight back. We need to protect our most vulnerable communities,” he said.

He is looking to expand the geographic reach of his district by seeking this seat, a region he partially represents now as state Assemblymember, elected in 2022. He sees the wider district as well suited to his interests in environmental legislation. He pointed out that the district covers about a third of the state’s coastline and said, “One of the focuses of my career, and certainly my time in the Legislature in my second term now, has been around environmental protection.”

He’s supportive of the state investing in offshore wind development off the coast of Humboldt County and coauthored a bill with Chris Rogers, AB 472, to include port infrastructure in offshore wind planning.

Rogers is also responsible for one of Connolly’s endorsements.

“Damon Connolly is one of the most effective public servants I have ever worked with,” Rogers said in a prepared statement.

“He is responsible for major climate change and wildfire prevention reforms at the state and county levels. Damon is always focused on the most pressing issues facing the North Coast, and he’ll be a great Senator,” Rogers continued.

Former North Coast Senator and Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro and local policy expert Connie Stewart endorsed Connolly in the announcement.

Connolly pointed to his legislative chops in bills he’s worked on in the Assembly, like helping author Proposition 4, the 2024 Climate Bond, and AB 1864, a bill restricting aerial spraying of pesticides around schools and daycares. He also authored the vetoed Assembly Bill 99, which would have restricted the use of pesticides by Caltrans (he plans to continue work on this). His bills that have passed since being elected range from expanding penalties in a flavored tobacco ban to school safety plans to beaver protections. He’s also chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee.

He says he finds a lot of commonality across the wide district.

“In terms of common interests, I’m finding a lot of interest, in particular in my wildfire prevention and also insurance crisis work, people too often up and down this district are losing their wildfire insurance coverage or are priced out of the market,” he said.

Right now he’s working on a bill, Assembly Bill 1, to tweak insurance regulations to incentivize work like fuels reduction around homes, among 23 other bills.

He also pointed to high PG&E rates, saying “I think holding their feet to the fire, so to speak, is going to be crucial,” he said.

He said if elected, he’d prioritize local input, and has made a map of pledges to each county in the massive district — Humboldt County’s first pledge is working to increase investment in health care.

“I think people in our Senate district have come to expect that their senator is one of the strongest and most energetic senators in the whole state, with Sen. McGuire, and it will be important to me to bring that same approach to the job to be present in all corners of the district, all of our communities,” he said.

On the local level, he’s served as Marin County Board of Supervisor, Vice Mayor of the City of San Rafael, plus as Board President of the Miller Creek School District. He also was a California Deputy Attorney General.

His website is www.damonconnolly.com.

Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.