The Gender Gap in California Politics

This week, two veteran members of California's Congressional delegation announced their retirements. Republican Buck McKeon, whose district runs north of Los Angeles, is stepping aside after more than two decades in Congress. And Bay Area Democrat George Miller is calling it quits after 40 years. Within hours of Miller's announcement, state Senator Mark DeSaulnier declared his intention to run for Miller's seat. That quick decision by DeSaulnier -- and by the two men already lined up to take McKeon's seat -- underscored a truth about politics -- what some call a gender gap in political ambition.