Loretta Sanchez denies report on Senate candidacy

Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Garden Grove denied a report Tuesday that she plans to announce her candidacy for U.S. Senate on Thursday.

“A ‘draft’ announcement was leaked,� Sanchez told The Times in an email. “I have actually not made a decision. That is the truth.�

Sanchez’s email response to an inquiry from The Times came shortly after the Sacramento Bee and Politico published articles saying that she would declare her candidacy Thursday morning at the Santa Ana train station.

The Bee cited a Sanchez letter to supporters in which the congresswoman was quoted as saying, “Together we will win.� The report said family and friends would join her at the train station.

Sanchez said her draft announcement had been sent to just four people to review, and “one forwarded it to someone,� leading to the erroneous media reports.

Sanchez, first elected to the House in 1996, is one of several Democrats weighing whether to enter the race for the seat of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. On Tuesday morning, Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank announced that after considering the contest for several months, he had decided not to run.

For now, the only major Democrat in the race is state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris. The Republican candidates include state Assemblyman Rocky Chavez of Oceanside and former state party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro.

Twitter: @finneganLAT