According to the Los Angeles Times, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a native of Anaheim, is “seriously considering” running for the U.S. Senate in the wake of incumbent Barbara Boxer’s decision not to seek a fifth term:

“For the past 18 years, I have focused on putting California’s working families first. From immigration reform to affordable healthcare to funding quality education, I have advocated for policies that give all families the same access to the American Dream,” Sanchez posted on her Facebook page. “Californians deserve a strong voice in Washington and I have never been afraid to speak up, which is why I am seriously considering running for the United States Senate in 2016.”

Sanchez [made] her statement hours after California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris officially kicked off her bid for the Senate seat, which will be decided in 2016.

Sanchez, 55, has represented a swath of Orange County in Congress since 1997. She won the seat in 1996 by defeating conservative incumbent Rep. Bob Dornan in an ugly race. Sanchez, who ran as a moderate Democrat, was the first person of Mexican descent to represent Orange County, long a conservative bastion, in Congress.

You can read the rest of the article here.

A few days ago, Sanchez was sphinx-like on the subject, with just an unnamed source telling MSNBC the chances of a Sanchez run were “50-50.” Now, the congresswoman herself is announcing she is “seriously considering” launching a bid for the U.S. Senate. That’s a fair distance to travel in just a few days.

Stay tuned.