Longtime San Diego legislator Toni Atkins announced Monday she was bowing out of the 2026 race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is termed out.

Atkins, a former San Diego City Councilwoman, acting mayor, assemblywoman, Speaker of the Assembly and President pro tempore of the California State Senate, announced her gubernatorial candidacy in January 2024.

In announcing her withdrawal from the governor's race, she said she will continue to fight against the politics of President Donald Trump.

"My intention was to build on that progress, to bring real solutions from day one, and to do good work for the people. That's why it's with such a heavy heart that I'm stepping aside today as a candidate for governor," Atkins wrote in a letter to supporters. "Despite the strong support we've received

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