Gary Miller switches districts following Lewis’s retirement

By Cameron Joseph - 01/12/12 04:30 PM ET

Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) will run in a new Southern California district left open by Rep. Jerry Lewis’s (R-Calif.) retirement rather than challenge Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in a primary, he announced Thursday afternoon.

“California is losing a tremendous amount of influence in Washington with the recent retirements of Jerry, Wally Herger, and Elton Gallegly,” Miller said in a statement. “There are serious challenges ahead if we are going to rein in out-of-control spending, fight President Obama’s efforts to increase taxes, and fix our economy.”

Miller’s current district had been eliminated by the bipartisan California redistricting commission. Lewis’s announcement earlier Thursday that he would retire rather than run in the Democratic-leaning district gave Miller an opening to move further inland and run for this seat, despite having not represented any part of it previously.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions had thrown his support to Royce over Miller in the primary, attending a fundraiser for him. But he praised Miller’s decision to run in the new district and promised to support the Republican.

“Gary Miller has the experience, leadership and will to win for Republicans in 2012, and I applaud Gary’s decision to fight for smaller government and greater opportunity for more Californians by running in California’s 31st District,” Sessions said in a statement. “The NRCC remains committed to re-electing House Republican Members, and I look forward to supporting Gary Miller as he takes on this new opportunity for Republican victory in 2012.”

Miller is not the only candidate to announce a campaign in the district on Thursday: Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar, a centrist Hispanic Democrat, also jumped in, giving Democrats a potentially strong recruit in the district.

Miller’s decision once again leaves few good options for Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), who had been quietly thinking about a run in that district if Lewis retired.