Simitian files papers for possible 2012 state Assembly run

State Senator Joe Simitian is one Sacramento legislator who really digs the art and craft of lawmaking.

The Palo Alto Democrat, the man responsible for bringing the state the hands-free cell phone device driving law and, more recently, the follow-up "no texting" while driving law, likes his job so much that he's planning to ask San Francisco peninsula voters to keep him around in Sacramento for a while.

That might mean one day having to move his office clear to the other side of the Capitol Building.

Last Wednesday Simitian filed papers with the Secretary of State's office for a possible run for the 21st Assembly District seat.

Simitian, a street-smart kind of guy, figures it this way:

Although Simitian says he takes nothing for granted, he does expect to be re-elected handily to his 11th Senate District seat on Nov. 4 over Republican Blair Nathan, a Stanford University student. That gives him four more years of public service in the Senate until 2012 when he will term-out of office.

But that year Simitian says he will run for Ira Ruskin's old 21st Assembly District seat. Although Ruskin (D-Los Altos) will termed-out of office two years earlier -- 2010 -- whoever is in that post will likely want to run for Simitian's open Senate seat, hopefully leaving the 11th Assembly post either vacant or vulnerable.

It's a plan that's a tad complicated, he admits, but such is life in the politics business. Moreover -- if it all works out -- it's not like it will be a job he's not familiar with. Simitian's first role on the state political stage was in the Assemby representing the 21st District. He was elected there in 2000 and re-elected two years later.

"I've always been forthcoming with my plans and I'm not going to stop that now," Simitian told PolitickerCA.com. "I thought that I would go ahead and lay down my marker and make my plain my interests."

Still, Simitian admits that a lot can happen between now and then to mess up his plans, including redistricting in 2012.

"I just wanted to keep my options open," the senator said. "Filing the candidate intent statement allows me to do that."