Democratic congresswoman Loretta Sanchez says she's entering the U.S. Senate race to succeed retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Her candidacy injects competition in a 2016 race that had been shaping up as a runaway for another Democrat, state Attorney General Kamala Harris.
The announcement Thursday from the 55-year-old Sanchez came after two days of mixed signals. She and advisers said Tuesday that she was undecided, after a misfired email said she would announce her candidacy this week.
Sanchez is serving her 10th House term, representing a district based in Orange County.
Her candidacy creates a contrast with Harris.
Sanchez is Hispanic with a background in national defense issues and roots in Southern California. Harris is a lawyer from the San Francisco Bay Area whose father is black and mother is Indian.
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