Longtime Antioch City Councilmember Monica Wilson announced on Monday that she will seek the state Assembly seat held by Tim Grayson, who is widely expected to run for state Sen. Steve Glazer’s seat.

Grayson, who represents the 15th state Assembly District, has yet to announce his intentions for higher office, but Wilson said if he does vacate his current seat, she will seek it. Grayson could not be reached for comment Monday morning.

A moderate Democrat from Concord and the city’s former mayor, Grayson was first elected to state office in 2016 and is currently chair of the banking and finance committee.

Wilson, a four-term Antioch City Council member, became the first Black woman elected to the city’s council in 2012. While on the council, she has advocated for an end to Human Trafficking, pushed for police reform and sought to help those experiencing mental health crises, among other issues.

“I am ready to take my results-oriented leadership to Sacramento – where I can do even more to maintain and improve the quality of life for our Contra Costa County communities and all Californians,” Wilson said in a statement. “Too many families are getting priced out due to skyrocketing cost of living and expensive housing. And creating effective solutions to homelessness is not only a regional but statewide crisis. I have a proven track record of tackling today’s tough problems to provide the leadership every Californian needs.”

Reached on Monday, Wilson, who is the longest-serving member of Antioch’s current City Council, said she decided to announce though Grayson had not made his intentions known because she had her Facebook page up and running and was getting a lot of questions. Her council term expires in 2026.

Speaking on her accomplishments, Wilson pointed to her advocacy work in Antioch, bringing city employees back from furloughs, advocating for women who have been victims of human trafficking, and supporting rent stabilization and bridge housing with wraparound services for the homeless.

“I really want to make sure that we have housing for all, and I have worked on a lot of issues, championing project labor agreements, working with labor, and I want to take that to Sacramento,” she said.

Wilson ran in the recent election for the City Council on a platform pushing for a 24-hour non-police mental health crisis team to respond to non-urgent calls, which was launched this spring.

“It finally came to fruition, so people who are suffering from mental illness – whether they’re on the streets or actually living in a home – now can call the appropriate people to come and assist with that,” she said.

Wilson, program manager for the human trafficking nonprofit Love Never Fails, also pointed to her work strengthening city rules for massage businesses and banning hourly rates at local motels and hotels.

“I feel like it can bring a different perspective or a better place, especially around violence against women, especially around human trafficking (to the Assembly office),” she said. “I know there were a couple bills that were recently passed that were good bills that just didn’t kind of have some resources behind them. And I love to be able to be the extra voice.”

On a regional level, Wilson is past president and current member of the TriDelta Transit board, vice chair of the Northern California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus and former vice chair of the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County. She also was a past staff member of Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County, past staff adviser for FemDems and an outreach coordinator for the Grateful Garment Project.

In announcing her candidacy, Wilson picked up endorsements from State Board of Equalization Member Sally Lieber, women and human rights advocate Christine Pelosi and local elected leaders, including Concord Vice Mayor Edi Birsan and Brentwood Councilmember Jovita Mendoza.

“Monica has led efforts to protect our clean air and water for future generations,” Lieber said in a statement. “Monica will lead the fight in Sacramento to make real progress toward the governor’s goal of dramatically cutting carbon pollution to reduce the risk of drought and wildfire.”

“It is more important than ever to elect women with proven track records of results to be our state policymakers,” Delano added in a statement. “I am thrilled Councilmember Monica Wilson has answered the calls to run.”

The primary election for the seat is March 5, 2024.

Assembly District 15 includes Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, a sliver of Walnut Creek and some unincorporated communities.

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