Former Long Beach City Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske has withdrawn from the race for the 34th State Senate District.
LONG BEACH — Former Long Beach Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske said health issues have forced her to drop out of the race for the 34th State Senate District, according to an announcement on her personal Facebook page.
In her social media post Thursday, Schipske, 67, said an ocular blood clot that developed in January has “seriously affected” her vision.
“The process to treat this problem requires a series of painful procedures, and there is no promise of a full recovery,” Schipske wrote. “This medical condition has made campaigning difficult in recent weeks.”
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With Schipske’s withdrawal, State Sen. Janet Nguyen, the district incumbent, will face one challenger, Tom Umberg, in next month’s election.
In its convention last weekend, the California Democratic Party did not endorse a candidate for the 34th District.
Schipske, the first self-identified lesbian elected to the Long Beach City Council, was councilwoman for two consecutive terms until being termed out in 2014.
34th STATE SENATE DISTRICT
Schipske represented the city’s 5th District, which is part of the 34th State Senate District.
It also includes all or portions of several Orange County cities: Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Orange, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, and Westminster.
Schipske is a lecturer at Cal State Long Beach, a registered nurse practitioner, and healthcare and ethics attorney
In 2013, President Barack Obama’s White House named Schipske as one of seven “Champions of Change for Open Government.”
